‘We put our name on the map’: San Diego State falls short in NCAA title game

During the first timeout at NRG Stadium, they introduced the four astronauts chosen for NASA’s Artemis II scheduled to circle the moon next year, the first crewed mission to venture that far into outer space in more than 50 years.

Then San Diego State’s basketball players walked on the floor for their own lunar mission.

It failed. They missed the moon. They landed among the stars.

There were the inevitable tears in the locker room, the deafening silence, the palpable disappointment, following Connecticut’s 76-59 victory against the Aztecs in the national championship game Monday night. But the fact that they were even here — 25 years after ranking among the most woebegone programs in Division I, 12 years after never having won an NCAA Tournament game — offered a piece of bittersweet chocolate for a city still starving for its first major sports championship.

“San Diego State, we put our name on the map,” senior forward Keshad Johnson said. “We put our school on the map. We’re recognized now. Win or loss, I’m sure everybody respects us.”

They finish 32-7 and remain the first team in school or Mountain West history to reach the Elite Eight, Final Four or championship game, remain forever embedded in San Diego sports lore for the dramatic comebacks, for the buzzer beaters, for the magical ride.

They don’t, however, become only the third team from the Pacific time zone to win a national title since John Wooden retired in 1975 (during the Final Four at the San Diego Sports Arena) and the UCLA dynasty ended.

The Huskies were too big, too long, too fast, too deep, too skilled, too focused, too tough, too everything. Too much.

San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher reacts during the second half of Monday night’s game.

(K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

The Aztecs got down 16 in the first half, two more than they trailed against Florida Atlantic two nights earlier. But this was a different animal, trying to come back against Huskies instead of Owls.

On offense, their posts got position too low in the paint. On defense, they blocked or bothered San Diego State’s attempts to score after getting the ball inside.

The Aztecs went 11 minutes without a basket in the first half, shot 28.6% and had nine turnovers. It took until five minutes into the second half for their bench to finally score after averaging just under 27 points per game. They didn’t break 40 until 10:45 to go. They had six shots swatted and countless others altered.

That won’t win you many games during the regular season, although if any team is capable, it is these Aztecs. That really isn’t going to work in the national championship game against a program that had won four previous titles — all of them since 1999 — and starts three NBA prospects and brings another (a 7-foot-2 freshman) off the bench.

The Aztecs did what they have all tournament, though, and fearlessly fought back, trimming a 15-point deficit to five with five minutes to go and having the announced crowd of 72,423 on its feet, most of it roaring for the team that had zero trips past the Sweet 16 before two weeks ago.

“They were able this entire tournament, when they got up eight, to feel so good and confident that they would just step on people,” Aztecs assistant coach Dave Velasquez said of Connecticut. “There was a time there where it almost felt like that was happening to us. But the fight, the resilience, to see our team cut it to five with five minutes to go, I honestly could not be more proud of a team after a loss.

“It’s the reason we were here is, because of our fight and our ability to lock in and never panic.”

Connecticut celebrates after beating San Diego State for Monday night’s national championship.

(K.C. Alfred/The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Coach Brian Dutcher noted that the Huskies hadn’t had a close game all tournament, wondering aloud what might happen if they did.

What happened: Jordan Hawkins curled off a screen, took a pass, pulled up several feet behind the arc and drained a contested three.

Eight-point game.

“That is as good as you can guard that play,” Velasquez said. “We went over that play, our guys were locked in. He rose up and did what great players do in March: They make plays. Their best offensive player made the best play of the game.”

That ignited a 9-0 run that extinguished any fleeing dreams of an upset by 71/2-point underdogs, matching the largest in a national championship game in the 2000s.

Of course, there’s no shame in losing to them. No one else came close, either. The margin of victory in the Huskies’ previous five tournament games: 24, 15, 23, 28 and 13 points.

It was more coronation than contest.

How good is Connecticut? Tristen Newton, its third leading scorer, had 19 points on 11 shots. Adama Sanogo, the 6-9, 245-pound load inside, had 17. Hawkins had 16.

Keshad Johnson led San Diego State with 14 points. Lamont Butler and Darrion Trammell each had 13. Everyone else scored 19 points on a combined 18.8%.

“That’s a really good team that beat us tonight,” Dutcher said. “Like I said, if we find a team that beats us, we’ll tip our hat to them. They beat us, and they were the better team. They’re deserving national champions, but I love my team and I love my locker room.

“There’s a brotherhood in that locker room that will never be divided by a margin of victory or not winning at all. That brotherhood will last a lifetime.”

Matt Bradley (20), Micah Parrish (3) and Nathan Mensah walk off the court following Monday’s loss.

(K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Sitting next to him, sobbing, was Matt Bradley. He transferred to San Diego State from California two years ago and admitted for the first time that he nearly quit the sport.

“I was really ready to just stop playing,” Bradley said. “I told myself, “you know what, man? It’s been tough. Just go home and get a job and call it a day, you’ll be all right.’ But Coach Dutch, he’s one of the most genuine guys I’ve ever met, the way he took me in and the brotherhood and real leadership that we could follow, changed the trajectory of my life for sure.

“It’s more than just basketball.”

Connecticut won the opening tip and took a 2-0 lead on a jumper by Hawkins from almost the exact spot where Butler released his Saturday night that beat the buzzer and Florida Atlantic. But then Butler drained a three. Two possessions later, Trammell, not realizing the shot clock had been reset, launched a contested three from the right corner. Good.

You wondered: Could the magic continue?

Johnson scored inside, and Bradley (six points) turnaround in the lane rolled around the rim and dropped — 10-6, Aztecs.

Could they … might they … maybe?

Connecticut provided the answer over the next 11 minutes: An emphatic no.

Number of San Diego State baskets over the next 11 minutes: zero.

After making four of five shots to open the game, the Aztecs missed their next 14. Their only points came on five free throws while Connecticut began raining threes to open a 33-17 lead. Hawkins made a three. Newton scored seven unanswered points. University of San Diego transfer Joey Calcaterra made a three.

The Aztecs’ halftime box score was ugly: 28.6% shooting, nine turnovers, minus-three on the boards, minus-10 on points in the paint, minus-nine on bench scoring. They were probably fortunate to trail 36-24.

The deficit was still 15 inside 10 minutes to go, with little indication anything would change.

And then it did — to 13, then 11, then eight, then six. A free throw by Johnson with 5:19 cut it to five.

Two minutes later, it was 14.

“I’m not gong to lie,” Bradley said, “they have a lot of weapons. They were pretty good.”

Connecticut celebrates winning the national championship.

(K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Soon, walk-on Andrew Hurley was slamming the ball into the court as the buzzer sounded, and blue and white confetti — not red and black — was trickling through the air. Stadium staffers started setting up a podium for the trophy ceremony.

The teams shook hands, and the Aztecs walked off the court.

Before they disappeared through the tunnel, they paused for a moment and looked into the stands at the thousands of fans who made the trip. And waved farewell.