San Diego State Wins Men’s Hoops National Semifinal
Should Miami pull off the upset of UConn tonight, the Hurricanes national title opponent for Monday night has punched its ticket.
It won’t be a south Florida showdown as San Diego State took down Florida Atlantic, 72-71, on a Lamont Butler baseline jumper as time expired.
LAMONT BUTLER. MARCH HERO @Aztec_MBB pic.twitter.com/JAEZf8oN71
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) April 2, 2023
The pace of the first NCAA Men’s Tournament national semifinal game was full tilt from the jump between the No. 5 seed Aztecs and the No. 9 seed Owls. FAU scored the first 5 points of the game Saturday evening just in time for the SDSU to respond with 14 straight on their own end. Things would even up thereafter in a frantic first half — defense seemingly optional — with FAU on top 40-33 at the break.
The second half featured a bit of a slower pace, but the intensity wasn’t lacking in between. The Owls built a lead up to 14 points, thanks to a bonehead technical foul on the Aztec side, though Micah Parrish would make up for it with good defense and a key three-pointer to spark a SDSU run that would cut the lead all the way to 2 points with about 8 minutes to play. It wouldn’t take the lead until the dramatic, last-second shot itself.
FAU would bounce back from the initial run, thanks in large part to Alijah Martin, who pushed the lead back up to 5 points with a run-stopping three-pointer thereafter. Martin finished with a game high 26 points, including 19 in the second half and one critical bucket with less than one minute to play.
SDSU continued to chip away, though, relying on the offensive glass (12 on the night), while also playing great defense down the home stretch to set up the game-winning bucket.
Another look at Alijah Martin's THUNDEROUS dunk 💪#MarchMadness @FAUMBB pic.twitter.com/CZetcyKDy7
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 2, 2023
Per CBS, the 14-point rally was the fifth largest in this setting. SDSU will now compete for its first college basketball crown.
The national championship game is set for Monday evening at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. Tip is scheduled for 9:00 pm ET, with CBS again carrying the television broadcasting rights.
Note: More in-depth articles about tonight’s UM versus UConn matchup below:
Final 4: Miami vs Connecticut Game Info, TV, Radio, Betting Odds & More
Final 4: Offensive Statistics to Know for Hurricanes and Huskies
Final 4 Defensive Statistics: Miami and UConn
Final 4 Scouting Report: UConn’s Adama Sanogo
Coach Jim Larrañaga on Historic Run at Miami
Why Jim Larrañaga Was Right That More Schools Should Be Transparent With NIL
UConn Head Coach Dan Hurley, ‘The Competitor’
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