Lamont Butler hit a powerful shot at the buzzer, sending San Diego State to its first national championship game with a 72-71 win over fellow quarterback Florida Atlantic in the Final Four on Saturday night.
With FAU winning in a triple, San Diego State’s Gaydon Liddy hit a short jumper to cut it to 71-70.
After FAU’s Jonelle Davis missed a contested layup, the Aztecs did not call a timeout and got the ball to Butler. He worked around the clock before hitting the shot that sent the Aztecs racing to the ground.
“The plan was just to get off the ramp,” Butler said after the game. “They cut me a little bit. I looked up and there were two seconds left, so I got a shot I was comfortable with, and I hit it. I’m happy.”
The Aztecs had one timeout remaining when they got the ball on that final possession, but head coach Brian Dutcher said he “ran out of plays, so I decided not to take a timeout.”
San Diego State will face UConn or Miami in the championship game on Monday.
In a remarkable comeback, San Diego State slugged out 14 points in the second half, marking the third-most comeback in Final Four history, according to CBS Sports.
Tyler Schunk/NCAA Photos via Getty Images
Thanks for reading CBS News.
Create your free account or login
for more features.
[ad_2]
