There will be no reappearance of the San Diego State Aztecs in the NCAA Championship Game, as Brian Dutcher’s team fell prey in the Sweet 16 round of the Big Dance at the hands of the UConn Huskies — the same team that beat the Aztecs in last year’s national title game.
The Huskies were simply too much and too powerful for the Aztecs, who lost to the Big East program to the tune of an 85-52 score.
Brian Dutcher Reflects on the San Diego State Aztecs’ 2023-24 College Basketball Campaign
Although the loss to the Huskies stings hard for San Diego State, Dutcher would rather focus on the experience and the ride the Aztecs had in their recently concluded season.
“It’s not the ending we’re going to remember; it’s the journey. Because the journey is everything,” San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher said. “We’ve been on an incredible journey together.
“They’re 7-2 on college basketball’s biggest stage over the last two years. It’s something to take great pride in,” Dutcher said. “If losing a basketball game is the worst thing that’s going to happen in your life, you’re going to have a fantastic life.”
The Aztecs struggled on both ends of the floor versus UCon, with San Diego State shooting just 36.2 percent while the Huskies connected on 46.2 percent of their attempts from the field. San Diego tried to keep in step with the Huskies in the first half, which ended with the defending champs only having a nine-point lead. But a second-half salvo by the Huskies blew San Diego State out of the water. The Huskies outscored San Diego State in the final 20 minutes of the contest, 42-21.
The Aztecs concluded their season with a 26-11 record while extending their NCAA Tournament appearance streak to four years — all under Dutcher.
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