By TIM BOOTH AP Sports Writer
SPOKANE, Wash. — Within the first 5 minutes, Jaedon LeDee scored at the rim, hit a midrange jumper, threw down a powerful dunk and knocked down a 3-pointer.
This was bound to be a big game for LeDee, and San Diego State needed everything the third-team AP All-American had to offer.
LeDee dominated inside on the way to 32 points, Lamont Butler added 15 and the Aztecs – last year’s national runners-up – held off 12th-seeded UAB, 69-65, on Friday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
“He’s hard to guard,” San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher said of his 6-foot-9, 240-pound forward. “He puts a lot of fouls on people. We find him and to his credit, he plays unselfishly. He moves the ball easily, but when his time comes, he was ready for it.”
Again seeded No. 5 after their march to last year’s title game, the Aztecs saw a 12-point second-half lead disappear before putting together a late surge behind LeDee to avoid a March Madness surprise in the East Region.
“They don’t give out those All-American accolades just on a whim. You have to earn those,” UAB coach Andy Kennedy said of LeDee. “Tremendous player.”
Quiet for most of the second half, LeDee scored on three straight possessions for the Aztecs (25-10) after UAB took a 56-53 lead. Butler hit a difficult fallaway, and LeDee climbed for an offensive rebound and was fouled with 1:01 left. LeDee hit both free throws to give SDSU a 66-63 lead, and he added two more foul shots with 20 seconds left.
UAB’s Efrem Johnson had a contested look at a tying 3-pointer with eight seconds left, but it rimmed off, and Reese Waters’ free throw with 3 seconds remaining allowed the Aztecs a chance to exhale.
LeDee made 11 of 18 shots, was 9 for 10 at the free-throw line and had eight rebounds. He topped 30 points for the fourth time this season and finished two short of his career high.
“I just was playing hard. My teammates was finding me in the right…
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