Chase Tapley scored 18 points and had 11 rebounds to lead San Diego State to a 75-63 victory over Bryant on Friday night in the first game for both teams in the Basketball Travelers Classic at Viejas Arena.
Garrett Green added a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Aztecs, who reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament last season. Xavier Thames contributed 16 points in his first game for San Diego State.
Alex Francis had 20 points and Frankie Dobbs scored 17 for Bryant, which led for most of the first half before Green's layup with 30 seconds remaining gave the Aztecs a 28-27 lead at the break.
The contest was the first official game of the season for both teams and the second overall in the three-day, four-team tournament. Southern Utah beat UC Davis 76-75 earlier in the day.
