March 8, 2002
LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Al Faux hit a 15-foot jumper with 19 seconds remaining to give San Diego State a 70-69 win over Wyoming to advance to the finals of the Mountain West Conference tournament.
The Aztecs (20-11) advanced to just their third Division I conference championship game and first since the 1985 Western Athletic Conference tournament. They will play the winner of Friday's second game between UNLV and Utah.
Wyoming had a chance to win the game, but Marcus Bailey's jumper with 4 seconds left fell short. The Aztecs' Aerick Sanders grabbed the rebound and was fouled with 1.3 seconds remaining.
Sanders missed both free throws, but Wyoming couldn't get off another shot.
Faux led the Aztecs with 20 points. Randy Holcomb added 19 points and Sanders 10.
Bailey had a season-high 31 points for the Cowboys (21-8). Uche Nsonwu-Amadi added 11 points.
The Aztecs, who led throughout its first-round win against BYU, held the advantage until 7:38 remained in the game as David Rottinghaus made two free throws to give Wyoming a 59-58 lead.
Bailey hit a 3-pointer to extend the lead to 62-58 with 5:03 left and then, after the Aztecs' Mike Mackell made a free throw, added two free throws to extend the lead to 64-59 with 4:12 remaining.
Faux converted a 3-point play and then hit a jumper to tie the score at 64 with 3:07 left. Bailey again gave Wyoming the lead, 67-64, with a 3-pointer with 2:34 left.
Sanders followed a missed shot with a layup to bring the Aztecs to within 67-66 with 2:07 remaining and Holcomb scored off a Faux assist to give the Aztecs a 68-67 lead with 1:30 remaining.
Bailey made two free throws for Wyoming for a 69-68 advantage, setting up Faux' last-minute heroics.
San Diego State led 37-32 at the half behind Holcomb's 12 points and Faux's 10. The Aztecs led by as many as 11 points in the half, but the Cowboys came back to pull within 34-32 with 1:01 left.
In the final minute, Holcomb made three of four free throws to build the lead back up to five.