Controversial foul call sends Antelopes to home court win against previously undefeated Aztecs
San Diego State attempted to defy odds in their attempt at a first win at Global Credit Union Arena in Phoenix. Grand Canyon plays well at home and were slightly favored against the Aztecs. It took all of 40 minutes to decide the outcome, but when the desert sand settled, the Antelopes were standing tall with a one point victory. They seemed to snatch victory from defeat as a controversial officials foul
call put Makaih Williams to the line with two free throws and he casually sank both to give Grand Canyon (12-6, 5-2 MCC) the victory over San Diego State (13-5, 7-1 MWC). The game had been close throughout, even having an Aztec rally late in the second half to take a one point lead. Down 12, the Aztecs fought back and found a 69-68 lead with 7.7 seconds remaining and reliable BJ Davis on the free throw line with a one and one. His first shot bounced out and as Grand Canyon grabbed the rebound, guard Makaih Williams sprinted the length of the court and attempted to put up a last second shot. There were three Aztec defenders protecting the paint, and his shot was blocked by Miles Byrd. But wait a moment. Referee Jeffrey Anderson blew a foul on Tae Simmons. Williams had cut through both Simmons and Davis and Byrd cleanly swatted the ball away, but the whistle had blown. Coach Brian Dutcher was livid, but would say later that he could not see the play. This sent Williams to the free throw line and he calmly sank both shots and set the stage with 1.8 seconds remaining. A diagrammed play set for Reese Dixon-Waters was put in place and he did get a good look, but his 35 foot shot banked off the backboard and rim and fell listlessly to the ground. Grand Canyon fans celebrated taking down the Aztecs. The loss raised serious questions as to the officials’ involvement in last second foul calls.
Miles Byrd was front and center on the play, added:
“It was a ticky-tack foul, I mean, I don’t know where the ref called the foul…It’s tough. But for us, we can’t let the refs decide the game at the end of the game. Tonight, we let the refs decide the game. We had chances to put them away.”
The Aztecs played well enough to win. They got 16 points from freshman Elzie Harrington, 12 from Dixon-Waters and 11 from Davis. Byrd had only six, but added eight rebounds, three assists, four steals and three blocks. Simmons played spectacularly with eight points and eight rebounds. The Aztecs were forced to go with a smaller lineup with Magoon Gwath out for the game with injury. The Antelopes got 17 points from both Williams and UNLV transfer Jaden Henley. Surprisingly, Grand Canyon controlled the game from three-point land, going 10-21 for a 47.6% shooting clip. The Aztecs only managed three from beyond the arc on 18 attempts, a dismal 16.7%. That was probably the stat line of the game as the Aztecs were strong in every other area, including shooting 40% from the field. Grand Canyon started with four made three pointers in the frist seven minutes. Despite the Aztecs’ smaller lineup, they were unable to convert from outside. One more point could have made a difference in the outcome of the game.
The Aztecs played furiously, with Simmons tipping in a missed on a break to give the Aztecs the lead with 53 seconds remaining. GCU called a timeout, but turned the ball over on the ensuing play. Davis and the Aztecs milked the play clock before he drove the lane and was fouled by Brian Moore Jr. who fouled out on the play. This led to the miss of the front end. Make both and it alters the Antelopes shot strategy to try a three. Instead, they settled for driving the lane and getting the foul call. Sink both free throws and game over. Grand Canyon travels to Viejas Arena on February 17 in a rematch which should have conference leader implications.
This game follows on the heels of the Aztecs 83-79 home win over New Mexico. This two game stretch featured quality opponents and the Aztecs came away 1-1. Miles Byrd scored 21 points to carry the Aztecs over the Lobos. A matchup in Albuquerque on February 28 will be a game to circle. Utah State lost a second game in a row, allowing the Aztecs to still remain atop the conference. The Aggies, New Mexico and Nevada are all tied for second with 6-2 conference marks while GCU and UNLV are at 5-2. This certainly looks like a six team tournament conference, but it will be a battle to see who rises to the top of the conference. Don’t be surprised to see a different conference champion and a different tournament champion.
