LAS VEGAS — Brian Dutcher’s young team just grew up.

“I knew I had a good team, but could we be good in November?” he said Saturday night. “It’s the last game of November, and we’re pretty good.

How good: With five new starters and a rotation that features three freshmen, the Aztecs stunned No. 6 Houston in the third-place game of the Players Era Festival, coming from 11 down in the second half to force overtime and win — yes, win — 73-70 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Which is their best regular-season victory since, well, when?

The last time the Aztecs, who are 1-19 all-time against teams in the top 5 of the Associated Press poll, beat No. 6 was 2019 against Nevada. But that was at Viejas Arena in front of their rabid fans.

Before that, there was the 61-57 win at No. 16 Kansas in 2014 that snapped the Jayhawks’ 68-game nonconference win streak at Allen Fieldhouse.

Before that, the 79-76 victory at No. 11 Gonzaga in the Kennel that introduced Kawhi Leonard and Aztecs basketball to the college basketball world.

Wherever Saturday ranks, as freshman forward Pharaoh Compton put it, “This is big for us.”

San Diego State guard BJ Davis, front right, and Houston forward JWan Roberts (13) become entangled while contesting for a rebound during overtime of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ian Maule)

The Aztecs (4-2) led early, then trailed for more than 30 minutes and were left for dead down double digits against what annually ranks among the best defenses in college basketball. They were getting crushed on the glass. Their shooting percentage was in the low 30s. Leading scorers Nick Boyd and BJ Davis still had gooseeggs midway through the second half.

There was no conceivable way out.

Until, suddenly, there was.

“We lost a lot of guys,” said sophomore wing Miles Byrd, who had 18 points, including a pair of free throws that forced overtime. “A lot of people probably thought we’re not as tough as we’ve always been. But it’s a Coach Dutcher-led team. We’re always going to be tough, we’re always going to play defense, we’re always going to rebound.

“I’m glad we were able to display tonight.”

San Diego State forward Jared Coleman-Jones (31) looks to shoot against Houston forward JWan Roberts (13) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ian Maule)

It came down to this in OT: Magoon Gwath made one of two free throws for a three-point lead, and Houston called timeout with 7.7 seconds left.

The Cougars (4-3) worked the ball to leading scorer LJ Cryer, who dribbled against Nick Boyd at the top of the key and fired a step-back 3 from 24 feet.

Rim. Buzzer.

Upset.

“Congratulations to Brian,” said Houston coach Kelvin Sampson, whose program has the best record in Division I over the past five seasons. “His kids, I mean, they deserved to win.”

It made the MESA Foundation, SDSU basketball’s NIL collective, $150,000 richer for the third-place finish in the inaugural eight-team event. That’s in addition to the $1 million each program’s collective received just for showing up.

Houston got an extra $100,000 for fourth. The championship game between No. 9 Alabama and Oregon was worth $500,000 to the winner and $250,000 to the loser.

The Aztecs got breakout performances from their heretofore quiet front line, with 16 points from Jared Coleman-Jones and 13 from Compton. They entered the day averaging 5.6 and 5.4 points, respectively.

Sampson was asked if he expected that.

“Did you?” he replied. “I saw the stat sheet. The Jones kid was shooting off-the-bounce 3s. He made three of them, and that doesn’t include the one he banked in (late in regulation). The offense looks a lot better when that biscuit goes in the basket, that’s for sure.”

San Diego State forward Magoon Gwath (0) blocks Houston forward Joseph Tugler (11) during overtime of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ian Maule)

The problem was that Boyd and Davis, averaging a combined 28.8 points per game heading into Saturday, were both scoreless until nine minutes left in regulation, when Boyd grabbed a rebound tipped to midcourt and raced in for an easy layup.

Ice, broken. Boyd followed that with a pair of 3-pointers en route to 12 points, then Davis made a 3 of his own as the Aztecs pulled within a point at 56-55.

They were still down two with 19.7 seconds left after Houston forward J’Wan Roberts, a 71.4% shooter from the line, missed the front end of a one-and-one. Dutcher called timeout and diagrammed a play to get Davis a 3 in the corner, which he got and missed as a defender crashed into him.

No whistle.

Byrd was supposed to back-screen Gwath to the rim, then pop out on the perimeter for a jumper if Davis wasn’t open. But because the ball went to Davis in the corner, Byrd stayed on the opposite block and was in position for the rebound. He grabbed it and was fouled, then made both free throws to tie it with 13.4 seconds to go.

Houston’s Emanuel Sharp (23 points) took the final shot of regulation, a fall-away from the right baseline over Byrd that bounced off the back rim and we had overtime.

“Your offense is always better against teams that don’t guard,” said Sampson, whose team shot 37.1% overall but compensated with 17 offensive rebounds. “San Diego State is a good defensive team. They bothered us tonight because they forced us to play way too much east and west. At some point you have to get downhill, you have to get north and south.

“Hats off to Brian and his group.”

What loomed at the toughest four-game nonconference stretch in SDSU program history ends at 2-2, with wins against No. 21 Creighton (by 18 points) and now the No. 6 Cougars.

“It serves San Diego State the most, and then it serves the Mountain West,” said Dutcher, whose team opens the conference season Wednesday night at Fresno State. “That’s how we’re a multi-bid league. You have to win games like this. Boise State beats Clemson, New Mexico beats UCLA. We have to win these games as a conference. This is where the strength comes.

“We did a good job building a resume in the nonconference.”

Notable

SDSU had a season-low seven turnovers.

• For most of the game, the Aztecs had a double-digit deficit in rebounding but closed to 40-38 by the game’s end. Houston had 17 offensive boards, but SDSU actually finished with an edge in second-chance points (15-12).

• The Aztecs also had advantages in bench scoring (16-7), fast-break points (7-0), points in the paint (26-18) and points off turnovers (12-7).

• Both teams shot it well in the second half. Houston was 7 of 10 on 3s, SDSU 6 of 15 … Gwath increased his national lead in blocks with five more, including two on one Cougars possession. He now has 24 in six games. Gwath also had the game’s best plus/minus at plus-11 points in his 27 minutes on the floor.

• SDSU went with a nine-man rotation, but Dutcher mostly stuck with his starters – Boyd, Davis, Byrd, Gwath and Coleman-Jones – down the stretch and in overtime.