HONOLULU (AP) Chase Tapley made six 3-pointers on his way to a career-high 33 points Saturday to lead No. 18 San Diego State to its 10th straight win, 80-58 over San Francisco in the first round of the Diamond Head Classic.
Tapley gave the Aztecs (10-1) their first cushion in the opening half with three jumpers over a two-minute stretch, and he was just getting warmed up. The senior was 13-of-19 from the field, with nine of those from outside, and back-to-back 3s with nine minutes left in the game sent San Diego State on its way.
The Aztecs now have beaten seven California schools this year, including USC and UCLA. They next play Sunday against Indiana State, which beat Ole Miss in overtime earlier Saturday at the Stan Sheriff Center.
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The Dons (5-5) tried to keep it close and never let San Diego State go ahead by more than 10 points until just over six minutes were left in the game.
Cole Dickerson, who led San Francisco with 15 points and 12 rebounds, scored on a driving layup and hit a 3-pointer to pull the Dons within 45-43 with 13 minutes left. Coming off a timeout, Tapley scored on a layup and then started pouring them in from everywhere. He pulled up on a fast break and hit a 3 from the right wing, turning to smile as the ball was still in the air. That was the last of his 33 points, and it gave the Aztecs control at 68-52.
Tapley's previous career-high was 28 points last year against Baylor.
Jamaal Franklin, who sat out the previous game as a precaution because of a back injury, hit a pair of free throws late in the game to finish with 11 points for San Diego State, making it 31 straight games in double figures. He also had seven rounds and five assists.
DeShawn Stephens and Xavier Thames contributed 10 points each for San Diego State.
The Aztecs missed six straight shots early on and found themselves down 11-4 before the game was even five minutes old. That didn't last long. Coming off the first TV timeout, Franklin hit a 3-pointer and Thames finished off a 13-0 run with a three-point play when he was fouled on a driving layup. Franklin scored on a layup off a San Francisco turnover to expand the lead to 23-13.
The Dons, however, managed to stay close behind 3-points from De-End Park and Avery Holmes, and they even got a little chirpy on the bench. They were barking at Tapley as he stepped inside the 3-point line, and Tapley gave it right back when he drained the jumper for a 33-23 lead. The referee warned both benches.
Tapley had 15 points in the first half, and he took over for the Aztecs late in the first half with two jumpers and a 3-pointer during the 10-2 run, and he hit another 3 late in the half for a 38-28 lead. Typical of the Dons, however, they pushed back when Tim Derksen converted a loose ball into a layup, and Cody Doolin hit a 25-footer at the buzzer to keep within five points. Doolin finished with 11 points.