"We got punked. They whooped our butts": San Diego State star Nick Boyd opens up on UNC upset in March Madness

San Diego State Aztecs' guard Nick Boyd reflected on their 95-68 loss to North Carolina in the First Four round on Tuesday. The senior emphasized that the loss signifies much more than just an elimination game, citing it as a life lesson in resilience.

"It's tough, it's hard to really even put into words how you feel after coming to the biggest stage and just getting your bu**s whopped," he said. "I mean this is bigger than basketball. These are lessons we can take as a team into real world, just learn from them, learn how to keep our head up but it's just hard to explain."

"This is the loss we're gonna feel throughout summer we got punked, they whooped our bu**s ... this is something we can definitely learn from and rally around and just take it to the summer with us."

Nick Boyd, who scored 20 points in SDSU's Mountain West quarterfinal loss, scored 12 points and five rebounds on Tuesday. His 4-of-14 shooting was one of the worst of the season.

It was a tough outing for San Diego State after the first five minutes of the contest. Once Jae'Lyn Withers hit a 3-point shot to give North Carolina an 8-6 lead, UNC never looked back. The Tar Heels mounted a 39-17 run to post a 24-point lead at the break.

Even though the Aztecs added 45 points in the second half, they failed to stop the opposing offense on the other end. RJ Davis led the team with 26 points on 8 of 12 shooting as three other players scored in double digits.

No. 11 UNC will now face No. 6 Ole Miss on Friday at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.

Nick Boyd wants to run it back with the San Diego State

Senior Nick Boyd has a year of eligibility remaining and plans to stay out of the portal this summer. He expressed his desire while speaking on the "Aztecs Wrap-Up Show" earlier this month before SDSU earned a trip to the First Four.

"I came here, I always wanted to stay here, I'm not really a guy who likes to relocate, I'm a San Diego State Aztec," he said (at 6:28). "I haven't really put much thought you know outside of that ... I don't really entertain that stuff and I love where I'm at in terms of this program.

"And I'm grateful for the opportunity these coaches give me by allowing me to have the ball in my hands and be a leader on a team who could be a NCAA tournament contender."

Nick Boyd played his first three seasons with FAU, gradually earning a starting role with the team. He averaged 7.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists during his time with the Owls.

The guard transferred to San Diego State last summer and churned his career-best year. Boyd generated 13.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game on 41.1% shooting this season.