Lamont Butler hit a buzzer-beating jumper for the ages, sending San Diego State to its first national championship game with a 72-71 win over Florida Atlantic in the Final Four. finalfour wakanews
San Diego State guard Lamont Butler, center, celebrates with teammates after he hit the winning basket against Florida Atlantic during the second half of a Final Four college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament on Saturday, April 1, 2023, in Houston. San Diego State’s vaunted defense staggered well into the second half as free-flowing Florida Atlantic breezed to a 14-point lead.
“I didn’t really know how big it was,” Butler said after his calm reaction to one of the greatest shots in NCAA Tournament history. “We’re going to the national championship. That’s not things many people do.” When FAU’s Johnell Davis missed a contested layup, San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher opted to not call timeout, joking that he didn’t have any plays left.The clock ticking down, Butler dribbled to the baseline, found that cut off and circled back. He stepped back to create a little room and hit a jumper that sent the Aztecs racing out onto the floor and had San Diego Padres fans going wild at Petco Park.
“We’ve always been knocked down,” said San Diego State’s Matt Bradley, who had 21 points after struggling in the previous three games. “But the biggest thing we always do is get back up and keep fighting.” San Diego State followed a pair of NCAA Tournament first-round flameouts with a solid 2023 season, winning 27 games to earn a No. 5 seed in the East Region in this year’s bracket.
The result: The Owls led 40-33 at halftime after hitting 5 of 11 from 3-point range against a defense that held its previous two NCAA Tournament opponents to 5-of-44 shooting from the arc.Then, with Fisher watching in the stands, the Aztecs got gritty.
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