San Diego State’s Dutcher Explains Why He Didn’t Call a Timeout Before Buzzer Beater

The Aztecs coach explained candidly why he held onto his final timeout.

San Diego State is headed to the national championship for the first time in program history after Lamont Butler lifted the Aztecs over FAU with a game-winning jumper at the buzzer.

With just a few seconds left on the game clock, SDSU grabbed a key rebound and opted against using a final timeout. Butler raced down the court and eventually found enough space to take the mid-range jumper, which he buried to give the Aztecs a one-point lead over the Owls with no time left on the clock. 

Though undeniably a thrilling finish, San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher admitted there wasn’t a genius play-call behind the shot. During his postgame interview, he didn’t hesitate to admit that he didn’t use the timeout for the simple reason that he had run out of plays to call.

“I ran out of plays, so I decided not to take a timeout,” Dutcher confessed.

Brian Dutcher on the buzzer beater:

"I ran out of plays so I decided not to take a timeout" 😂 pic.twitter.com/5HEVEm83sM

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) April 2, 2023

Rather than try to draw something up during a timeout, the Aztecs’ coach trusted his team to get the job done. Butler delivered in a big way, hitting the clutch shot as time expired to seal the game. 

Dutcher helped guide his team to a 14-point comeback but when it came to crunch time, he opted to sit back and hold onto his timeout. That decision paid off as San Diego State will now play for a national championship on Monday night.