San Diego State punched its ticket to the 2023 men’s national championship game after a thrilling 72–71 win over Florida Atlantic at the buzzer in the Final Four.
Aztecs junior guard Lamont Butler, hit a baseline jumper as time expired to help San Diego State pull off the miracle.
The No. 9 Owls, playing in the Final Four for the first time in school history, blew a 14-point second-half lead in a game for the ages. FAU, who took a 40–33 advantage into halftime, were outscored 39–31 in the second half. The shocking victory by the Aztecs goes down as the fifth largest comeback in Final Four history.
LAMONT BUTLER WINS IT AT THE BUZZER 😱
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 2, 2023
THE AZTECS ARE #NATIONALCHAMPIONSHIP BOUND 🔥#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/2sqxu5g05j
Teams seeded No. 9 or higher to make the national semifinals are now 0–9 all-time in the history of the tournament in the Final Four.
San Diego State’s Matt Bradley was outstanding in the win, scoring 21 points while grabbing six boards. On the other side of the court, the Owls were paced by Alijah Martin who scored a game-high 26 points while grabbing seven rebounds in a losing effort.
The Aztecs displayed great fortitude, and timely offensive rebounds, which helped offset a lackluster performance at the free-throw line. FAU finished 16-of-21 (76.2 %) at the charity stripe while San Diego State struggled, converting on only 13-of-22 (59.1%) attempts.
San Diego State will await the winner of Saturday’s other Final Four matchup between No. 4 UConn and No. 5 Miami.
