SDSU’s Heart-Stopping Rally Ends in Agonizing Last-Second Defeat at Grand Canyon—What Went Wrong?

There’s something almost poetic about the Global Credit Union Arena — a place where unbeaten Mountain West streaks meet their match. Wednesday night was no exception, as the San Diego State Aztecs saw their run come to a heartbreaking halt, courtesy of two clutch free throws by Makiah Williams with just 1.8 seconds ticking away. Talk about drama! The Aztecs battled back from a sizable 12-point hole with just over nine minutes left, even taking the lead late in the game thanks to Tae Simmons’ put-back. But inches and seconds can make all the difference. Despite a near-flawless first half at the free throw line, SDSU stumbled in the second, missing key shots that ultimately set the stage for Grand Canyon’s game-winning flourish. With sparks flying from every corner — from Elzie Harrington’s hot start to the Lopes’ surprising three-point barrage — this game had it all: tension, grit, and those moments that make you sit on the edge of your seat. The Aztecs now face a tough stretch ahead, kicking off a road trip against a red-hot UNLV squad. For those who crave the full scoop and all the gritty details, just dive right into the play-by-play. LEARN MORE

Global Credit Union Arena has been where unbeaten Mountain West streaks go to end, and the San Diego State Aztecs saw theirs fall on a pair of free-throws by Makiah Williams with 1.8 seconds left in a 70-69 loss to Grand Canyon on Wednesday night.

Forced into the comeback role, the Aztecs (13-5, 7-1 Mountain West) erased a 12-point deficit with 9:14 to play, coming all the way back to take the lead with 58.6 seconds left on a put-back by Tae Simmons.

But after going 10-for-10 at the free throw line in the first half, SDSU missed three of nine in the second, including the front end of a one-and-one by BJ Davis with 7.7 seconds remaining. It set up Williams for a length of the court sprint, driving the length of the court and being blocked at the rim by Miles Byrd, but the Lopes’ (12-6, 5-3) guard drew a foul called on Simmons to set up the decisive shots at the stripe.

Elzie Harrington led the Scarlet and Black with 16 points, including scoring the first four buckets of the game and making his first five from the field. Reese-Dixon Waters added 12 points, and had a desperation heave from the left wing bank off the backboard and rim. Simmons added 8 points and a game-high nine rebounds, while Byrd had another big defensive night with four steals and three blocks to go with 6 points and eight rebounds.

SDSU’s rally down the stretch was fueled by Davis, who scored 11 points for the game and had 7 of his 9 second half points over a 3:05 stretch that saw the visitors cleave the deficit from 63-56 to 65-63. The second 6-0 spurt saw a pair of Simmons scores, including the tip-in with under a minute to go, bracketing a Taj DeGourville bucket, who finished with 8 points.

The Lopes knocked down 10 of 21 from downtown, just the third time all season the team that came into the game averaging the third-fewest 3-pointers per game in the conference had done so, while holding SDSU to 3-for-18 shooting from beyond the stripe.

Led by 17 points apiece by Jaden Henley and Williams, Grand Canyon continued to bedevil the Aztecs, having won four games in a row in the series while taking all three of the meetings on their home court in Phoenix.

Magoon Gwath did not dress and was listed as ‘out’ on the Mountain West’s availability report before the game. Without his presence, three of the four SDSU forwards picked up a pair of personal fouls before halftime, though Pharaoh Compton was able to score 8 points with a couple of dunks despite finishing with four fouls.

San Diego State continues their first of two consecutive road game stretches in conference play on Saturday, Jan. 21 at UNLV. The Runnin’ Rebels have won three in a row, winning against Boise State in overtime in their last home game and following up with road wins at San José State and Utah State.

Tip-off from the Thomas & Mack Center is scheduled for 1 p.m., with the game being broadcast nationally by CBS and the local radio broadcast coverage on 760 AM.