The San Diego State Aztecs were able to keep Brandon Miller off his game, and it proved dividends.
The fifth-seeded Aztecs upset No. 1 Alabama in the Sweet 16, 71-64.
It’s the first Elite 8 appearance in the school’s history, and it’s their first victory over a No. 1 seed.
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The San Diego State Aztecs huddle prior to a game against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at KFC YUM! Center on March 24, 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Rob Carr/Getty Images)
Alabama was down five at the half, but stormed to a 25-11 run to take a nine-point lead. However, San Diego State answered right back with a 23-5 run of their own, with their lead, like Bama, getting as high as nine points.
Bama did cut their deficit to two points with 46.9 points to go, but that was as close as they’d get for the remainder of the night.
The San Diego State Aztecs players stand on the court against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the Sweet Sixteen round of the 2022 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament held at KFC YUM! Center on March 24, 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Joe Robbins/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
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But it was SDSU’s defense up and down the court that paved the way for the victory – they blocked eight of Bama’s shots, and as previously mentioned, shut down their best player.
Miller could very well be a top-three pick in the NBA Draft, but he didn’t look as such on Friday night. The freshman was just 3-for-19 from the floor, and 1-for-10 from deep.
As a team, Alabama was just 3-for-27 from three-point lead.
Brandon Miller #24 of the Alabama Crimson Tide controls the ball against Nathan Mensah #31 of the San Diego State Aztecs during the first half in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at KFC YUM! Center on March 24, 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Rob Carr/Getty Images)
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Darrion Trammel led the way with 21 points for San Diego State, who now await the winner of No. 6 Creighton and No. 15 Princeton.
