The first game played on Steve Fisher Court at Viejas Arena was against Steve Fisher's alma mater. Coach Fisher's current team bested his old one.
The Aztecs beat Illinois State 71-60 in their season-opener on Friday night. Freshman guard Jeremy Hemsley scored a game-high 20 points in his debut. Fellow guard Dakari Allen chipped in 16 off the bench.
In all 10 different Aztecs played and scored against the Redbirds, a team several experts expect to be in the mix for a NCAA Tournament spot.
It was a bit of a sloppy performance from both sides. Well, either that or the officials were getting paid based on how many times they blew their whistles. In the first half alone the two teams combined to shoot a whopping 40 free throws.
Things settled down a bit in the second half but the referees were still escorted to their cars by an increased security presence, which was probably not necessary. The Aztecs shot 39 free throws while the Redbirds only had 22 but the home crowd was still frustrated with the avalanche of fouls called.
San Diego State's next game is Monday night in Salt Lake City against the Utah Utes.
