NCAA TOURNAMENT • Spokane: San Diego State rides LeDee, last year's experience to win over UAB

By MARK NELKE

Sports editor

SPOKANE — There are listings in the NCAA record book for just about everything.

If there isn’t an entry for most fouls drawn in a basketball game, perhaps there should be.

En route to a 32-point, eight-rebound performance Jaedon LeDee of San Diego State drew 11 fouls and fouled out two big guys from UAB in the fifth-seeded Aztecs’ 69-65 victory over the 12th seed Blazers in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Thursday at the Spokane Arena.

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

The 6-foot-9, 240-pound LeDee, a third-team AP All-American, was 11 of 18 from the floor, 9 of 10 from the line. He did most of his damage inside, but also showed he could range outside and score from the foul line and beyond.

“He’s hard to guard,” San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher said. “He puts a lot of fouls on people. He’s physical and sometimes he’s hard to officiate, but if you’ve seen him enough, you know he draws a lot of fouls, and maybe he doesn’t even get all of ‘em he deserves. But I like Jaedon’s temperament where he doesn’t cry for fouls, he doesn’t complain. He just keeps playing. So he adjusts to the officiating like everybody does, and he just continues to grind out there no matter if he’s getting calls or not.”

San Diego State (25-10) advanced to Sunday’s second round to face 13th-seeded Yale (24-8), which fought back and stunned No. 4 seed Auburn (27-8) 78-76 before a crowd which became louder and louder in support of Yale down the stretch.

UAB finished 23-12.

Lamont Butler, who hit the shot that sent the Aztecs to the national championship game last year, scored 10 of his 15 points in the second half. He also had four assists and four steals.

Efrem Johnson, nicknamed “Butta” because, the story goes, he plays so smooth, scored 11 of his 19 points in the second half for UAB, which trailed early, but fought back to take the lead in the second half before San Diego State responded.

LeDee scored nine of San Diego State’s first 11 points, scored 18 in the first half, and the foul troubles began early for the Alabama-Birmingham squad.

“I know the severity of the situation,” LeDee said. “I mean, you win one game or you’re done. So I’m just out there giving it my all, and just making sure it’s not our last game.”

Yaxel Lendeborg, a 6-9 forward and UAB’s leading scorer and rebounder, picked up his third foul with 6:12 left in the first half. He did not score in the first half, and finished with 11 points and seven rebounds before fouling out with 20 seconds left.

UAB tried some beef off the bench in the form of Javian Davis (6-9, 265), but he also fouled out, with 1:01 left.

“It was terrible,” Lendeborg said of playing with fouls. “I feel like if I was to touch anybody in any way, it would be a foul. But that’s maybe just me making excuses and getting in my head. But I tried to match LeDee’s physicality. As soon as I did, boom, foul, and it messes with my head all game.”

Kennedy likened LeDee to Danny Fortson (6-7, 260), who played at Cincinnati in the mid 1990s, then played 10 years in the NBA, the last three with the Seattle SuperSonics (you remember them?).

“Now I know what it’s like being a linebacker in the old AFC, trying to tackle Earl Campbell,” said Kennedy, a former UAB player.

In a late-morning tipoff before perhaps a three-quarters full Arena, UAB fell behind by 11 early, trailed by 12 points early in the second half but, despite the foul trouble, fought back and tied it on a 3 by Johnson with 10:32 left, then took the lead on a jumper in the lane by “Butta” on the next possession.

UAB led by three on three occasions. 

Butler’s free throw with 1:56 left broke a 62-62 tie, and the Aztecs never trailed again. 

“We just didn’t panic,” Butler said. “We have been in that position before where teams came back on us. In the Mountain West, it happens all the time.”

With UAB down by 3 with 20 seconds left, a contested 3-pointer from the top of the key by “Butta” bounced off the left side of the rim, and Reese Waters sealed it for San Diego State with a free throw with 3 seconds left.

“I told the team after the game that experience means something,” said Dutcher, an assistant under Steve Fisher at San Diego State for 18 seasons, and head coach for the last seven. “I think all that experience we got last year paid off. When they came back, took a lead, we didn’t panic, we stayed focused, we played hard, and we found a way to win.”

Guard Eric Gaines added 14 points for UAB.

San Diego St. 69, UAB 65

UAB (23-12)

C.Coleman 1-3 0-0 2, Lendeborg 2-7 7-8 11, Gaines 4-12 6-6 14, E.Johnson 7-14 0-0 19, Vasquez 2-6 1-2 7, J.Davis 2-4 3-6 7, Toney 1-2 0-0 2, Ortiz 1-5 0-0 2, Shaver 0-0 1-2 1, Dunning 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 20-53 18-24 65.

SAN DIEGO ST. (25-10)

LeDee 11-18 9-10 32, Pal 1-3 0-0 2, Butler 5-9 5-6 15, Parrish 1-6 0-0 2, Trammell 1-4 1-2 4, Saunders 2-4 0-0 5, Waters 2-8 1-2 6, Byrd 1-3 0-0 3, Heide 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-55 16-20 69.

Halftime_San Diego St. 35-29. 3-Point Goals_UAB 7-20 (E.Johnson 5-10, Vasquez 2-4, Gaines 0-3, Ortiz 0-3), San Diego St. 5-18 (LeDee 1-1, Byrd 1-2, Trammell 1-2, Saunders 1-3, Waters 1-6, Butler 0-2, Parrish 0-2). Fouled Out_Lendeborg, J.Davis. Rebounds_UAB 22 (Lendeborg 7), San Diego St. 31 (LeDee 8). Assists_UAB 10 (Gaines 3), San Diego St. 10 (Butler 4). Total Fouls_UAB 18, San Diego St. 20.