San Diego State opens NCAA Tournament at the Arena with narrow 69-65 win over UAB

The experience of last year’s deep run in the NCAA Tournament might just help the San Diego State Aztecs make another one this season.

Trailing Alabama Birmingham by three points on a trio of occasions late in the second half, last year’s tournament finalists relied on that experience to hold off the Blazers 69-65 in a first-round East Regional game at the Arena.

The Aztecs (25-10) got a big game from forward Jaedon LeDee to earn a spot in Sunday’s second round against Yale.

“I told the team after the game that experience means something,” SDSU coach Brian Dutcher said. “I think all that experience we got last year paid off, and when they came back and took a lead, we didn’t panic.

“We stayed focused, we played hard and we found a way to win.”

Mostly, his players found way to get the ball to LeDee, a physical senior whose 32 points are the most by an Aztec in the NCAA Tournament.

Dueling inside against UAB forwards Yaxel Lendeborg and Javion Davis, the 6-foot-9 LeDee eventually forced both to foul out.

“I guess I was just playing hard,” LeDee said. “My teammates were finding me in the right spots at the right time.”

Mostly, that was at crunch time. UAB (23-12) trailed by as many as 11 points before chipping away thanks to the hot hand of guard Efrem Johnson.

The Blazers were still down nine midway through the second half, but Efrem nailed a 3-pointer and a short jumper to give UAB its first lead (51-49) with just less than 10 minutes left.

Johnson finished with a team-high 19 points on 5-for-10 shooting on 3-pointers.

After tying the game on a 3, he pointed to the UAB fans in appreciation.

At that point, the Arena was in full upset alert.

There would be more hardship for the Aztecs, who were down three again after a pair of free throws from Lendeborg. But in the next 90 seconds, LeDee had two buckets and guard Lamont Butler another and SDSU never trailed again.

UAB managed a 62-all tie with 2:28 left, but LeDee gave the Blazers no choice but to foul.

LeDee added four more free throws down the stretch, with the clinchers coming with 20 seconds left.

“We had no answer for LeDee,” UAB coach Andy Kennedy said.