A remarkable run came to an end Monday evening in the Lone Star State.

That is where UConn led San Diego State University for much of the evening, rolling to a 76-59 victory in the NCAA men’s basketball championship game in Houston.

While there may be some disappointment in the College Area and beyond, the 2022-23 SDSU season was one that won’t soon be forgotten.

An improbable run for a Mountain West Conference team saw the Aztecs (32-7) make it to their first-ever Final Four.

In a tournament that was filled with upsets and drama down to the wire in many cases, Monday’s championship game lacked that for long stretches of play.

Although SDSU (pictured above during its season finale win over Wyoming) took an early lead and then climbed out of a double-digit hole in the second half to cut the deficit to five points, UConn was able to pull away. In the process, the Huskies captured their fifth national title on the men’s side since 1999.

The Aztecs, seeded fifth in the South Region, eked out a couple nail-biters to get to the title game.

Meantime, the Huskies (31-8) proved much more dominant. UConn won the required six games to capture the crown by a staggering average of 20 points.

Leading by a dozen points at halftime, the Huskies outscored the Aztecs by five points over the next 20 minutes of play for the 17-point difference.

The closest SDSU, seeded fifth in the South Region, got in the second half is when it pulled within five points late. UConn, however, was able to withstand the rally and pull away for the win.

Keshad Johnson led SDSU with 14 points, while teammates Darrion Trammell and Lamont Butler each had 13 points, respectively. UConn’s Tristen Newton led all scorers with 19 points, while Adama Sanogo (Final Four Most Outstanding Player) and Jordan Hawkins added 17 and 16 points, respectively.

In getting to Monday’s title game, SDSU scored wins over Charleston (63-57), Furman (75-52), Alabama (71-64), Creighton (57-56) and Florida Atlantic (72-71).

While the finish is not what the Aztecs and their fans wanted, it was a season to remember.

Along with reaching the Final Four, SDSU claimed both the regular season and tournament crowns in the Mountain West Conference.

Even though SDSU had a fair number of seniors on the team, there is no reason to expect the Aztecs won’t be competitive again next season.

In a season when many outside San Diego likely did not pencil the Aztecs in the Final Four, players and fans can look back on an incredible run with much pride.