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San Diego State will need to knock off another ranked Big East opponent in order to capture the inaugural Wooden Legacy trophy. They will face No. 25 Marquette on Sunday, December 1 in the championship game.
Marquette defeated host Cal State Fullerton 86-66 in the opening round on Thursday. In their semifinal game on Friday, they took care of George Washington 76-60.
Rising star Davante Gardner led the Golden Eagles with 20 points and nine rebounds in the win over George Washington. The night before, Gardner scored 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds against Cal State Fullerton. In both games Gardner came off the bench.
The Aztecs had a tougher path to the championship. After a 20 point victory over College of Charleston in the first round on Thursday, San Diego State upset No. 20 Creighton in their semifinal matchup on Friday. Doug McDermott scored 30 points for Creighton. San Diego State countered with 26 points from Xavier Thames and a total of five guys who scored in double figures.
San Diego State will make a home court advantage out of the Honda Center in Anaheim. They brought a large and vocal fan base up from San Diego in last year's Wooden Classic that helped them defeat UCLA. The same will be true on Sunday.
Will their defense, enthusiam and improved shooting be enough to knock off Marquette? If so, the Aztecs will establish themselves as one of the best teams to watch early in the season.
Tip-off for the championship game of the Wooden Legacy is on Sunday, December 1 at 9:30 pm EST on ESPN2.
