San Diego State got a miracle, but it wasn’t enough to avoid a stunning upset.
Troy beat the Aztecs 108-107 in double overtime Tuesday night in Viejas Arena.
Brian Dutcher’s team had an uncharacteristic performance. SDSU turned it over 20 times, missed 14 free throws, got off to a slow start offensively and had trouble containing the Trojans on the other end.
At one point in the second half Troy made seven straight shots, eventually taking a 12-point lead.
In his first action of the season Magoon Gwath sparked San Diego State’s comeback. The seven-foot sophomore scored seven straight SDSU points to make it 83-77.
They faced a four-point deficit with 20 seconds left, when Gwath nailed a three-pointer to get within one.
He finished with 20 points on 5-for-5 shooting, seven rebounds and three blocks off the bench.
The Trojans’ lead was back to three with 2.4 seconds left when Miles Byrd hit one of the most improbable shots you’ll see all season.
The SDSU star caught an inbound, took one dribble and let it fly from a few steps beyond half court. His desperation three dropped, sending the Viejas crowd into a frenzy and pushing the game to overtime tied at 89.
Freshman Elzie Harrington scored the first four points of the extra period, but once again SDSU trailed late. Reese Dixon-Waters hit a layup in traffic to tie the game at 98 and send it to double OT.
The Aztecs led by four again, and later held a 107-105 advantage after another Byrd three. But they did not make another basket in the game’s final 90 seconds.
Theo Seng scored in the post to put Troy up 108-107 in the final minute. Byrd got a good look from three, but missed. The rebound made its way to Sean Newman Jr., whose attempt at the buzzer fell short.
Byrd finished with 24 points. Thomas Dowd paced the visitors with 25 points. Victor Valdes added 20.
The loss drops SDSU to 2-1 on the young season. They face No. 7 Michigan Monday in Las Vegas.
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