Call Nathan Mensah the eraser because he was deleting Alabama shot attempts left and right on Friday night.
Mensah blocked five shots in San Diego State’s 71-64 win over No. 1 Alabama in the Sweet 16 of the South Region. After blocking a Jahvon Quinerly layup attempt with 17.9 seconds left, Mensah did a thumbs down gesture.
Mensah REJECTION 🚫 @Aztec_MBB pic.twitter.com/zzL0GEMzC8
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 25, 2023
People on Twitter loved it.
Tired: Horns down
Wired: Thumbs down pic.twitter.com/pWSluDUFsq
— The College Basketball Stories Podcast (@theCBBstories) March 25, 2023
I loved the subtle "thumbs down" by Mensah after the big block, ala Commodus in Gladiator. pic.twitter.com/LCD4BQ1aNr
— Steve Czaban (@czabe) March 25, 2023
#SDSU Mensah with the thumbs down! pic.twitter.com/Q1X2umxVfr
— Paul (@p_moore17) March 25, 2023
hit ‘em with the pic.twitter.com/zSsUh5AYbo
— Graham Hall (@GrahamHall) March 25, 2023
SDSU to Alabama: pic.twitter.com/gDok34pKlq
— Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) March 25, 2023
He was right.
Not only was Mensah rejecting shots, but he and San Diego State took down the vaunted Crimson Tide.
Thanks to the Aztecs’ upset coupled with Miami’s win on Friday night, this is the first NCAA Tournament ever where a No. 1 seed didn’t make the Elite Eight.
