San Diego State puts up offensive display as they clinch a second place conference finish heading into the conference tournament.
“A Great College Basketball Game,” says Aztecs coach Brian Dutcher.
Viejas was buzzing Friday night as the Aztecs hosted the UNLV Running Rebels. Another sellout of 12,414 fans packed the arena to see what would turn out to be a fantastic offensive showcase. UNLV was paced by conference scorer Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn with 32 points. The Aztecs held their own, with BJ Davis scoring
30 of his own. Gibbs-Lawhorn has been scoring at a brisk clip, averaging over 28 points on the season and coming off of a 42 point effort last week against Nevada. Davis, meanwhile, set a career scoring mark with his 30 points.
“BJ was incredible,” Dutcher said. “He made big, important shots, he attacked the basket, he made important plays. He’s a player that when he plays like that, he makes us all look good…He knew he was rolling and wanted to shoot it every timne he caught it, and I was fine with that.”
The Aztecs bounced back from Tuesday’s 86-77 loss to Boise State. Both teams shot lights out with the Rebels opening the game on 6 of 9 shooting, including 5 of 6 from three-point whle they build a 19-11 lead. The Aztecs responded as championship teams do with an 11-0 run of their own giving them a 22-19 lead. From there both teams would continue to fight, exchanging leads for most of the rest of the game. Getting down into the clutch, Davis sank two free throws, followed by Reece Dixon-Waters who made one of two for a three point lead. The Rebels (16-15, 11-9 MWC) tried one last gasp with Gibbs-Lawhorn attempting a three which was blocked by Davis sending the Aztecs (20-10, 14-6 MWC) to a season ending victory. UNLV also saw freshman forward Tyrin Jones come off of the bench and score 22 points. The Aztecs had support from Dixon-Waters who added 19 of his own as well as six rebounds. The Aztecs shot a blistering 55% from the field on 33-60 shooting and were 40% from three point. Each team fought through breaks that didn’t go their way to keep the game close and entertaining. The Rebels had an 8 point lead in the first half which was their largest of the game, while the Aztecs controlled the momentum in the second half. The Aztecs turned the rebounding into their favor with a 33-30 advantage over UNLV. Miles Byrd was noticeably quiet as he only managed six points in 25 minutes of play. This despite him working through a lower-leg injury.
With the Aztecs finishing up Mountain West play, fans will be seeing much of the same cast of characters with newcomers Washington State, Oregon State, Texas State and Gonzaga all visiting the Mesa. Very few venues in the west provide consistent sell-outs with a loud and raucous atmosphere. It will be interesting to see if the Aztecs are able to elevate their game to compete with the Power 4 Conferences. A few benefactors who can encourage players to play in San Diego, will certainly be welcome.
By virtue of their second place finish the Aztecs will have a first round bye. They will face the winner of the Fresno State/Colorado State game. Other conference tournament action will see Wyoming and UNLV facing off to play Utah State, the Air Force and Nevada winner taking on Grand Canyon and Boise State vs. San Jose State with the right to play New Mexico.
Doing a little bit of forecasting might show Utah State playing UNLV, Grand Canyon facing off against Nevada, San Diego State and Colorado State squaring off and Boise State taking on New Mexico. If the favorites win, we would see a Utah State vs. New Mexico game and Grand Canyon taking on the Aztecs. Grand Canyon has beaten the Aztecs twice this season. That would present a potential challenge.
The Mountain West Conference has experienced an extreme level of parity with most teams capable of beating one another on any given night. Next season might change that dynamic with the addition of powerhouse Gonzaga, but for one shining moment the stars have aligned and the Aztecs will assume their place among the conference elite. In all likelihood, they will need to win the tournament to ensure themselves a position in the NCAA tournament. Stranger things have happened and don’t write off the Aztecs at this time.
