March 8, 2004
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SAN DIEGO - For the second time in as many years, San Diego State's quarterfinal opponent in the Mountain West Conference Championships is the same team it ended the regular season with as the sixth-seeded Aztecs (14-15 overall; 5-9 Mountain West Conference) battle third-seeded Utah (21-8; 9-5 MWC) on Thursday afternoon in the first game of the league tournament.
Game time at the Pepsi Center in Denver is scheduled for 1 p.m. MST (noon PST) and the game will be televised by ESPN+Plus.
The two teams met in the regular-season finale on Saturday, with the Utes claiming a 66-53 victory over the Aztecs. Utah shot 52.4 percent from the field, including a 64.7 percent after intermission, which represented the highest field goal percentage allowed in a half by SDSU this season. San Diego State outscored Utah from the floor 50-49, but couldn't overcome a 17-3 disadvantage at the free-throw line.
San Diego State was paced by senior forward Aerick Sanders, who recorded his 12th double-double of the season and the 14th of his career with 20 points and 12 rebounds, both game highs. It was his ninth 20-point scoring effort of the season. Junior forward Chris Walton also ended the contest in double figures with 10 points and four rebounds. Utah was led by Tim Frost with 19 points and eight rebounds and Nick Jacobson with 16 points.
Last season the Aztecs played UNLV in both the regular-season finale and the MWC Tournament quarterfinal game.
In what many thought would be a rebuilding year for the Aztecs, San Diego State has given a glimpse of a bright future. After losing the top four scorers off last season's team and being picked in for sixth in the preseason poll by league media, San Diego State blended one returning starter, with a transfer point guard, a junior coming off a redshirt season and two true freshmen to form the starting five for the 2003-04 season. The result is an Aztecs squad that has won 14 games for the fourth straight season for the first time since recording 14 or more victories in the five seasons from 1980-81 to 1984-85. In the 15 seasons between the two streaks, San Diego State reached the 14-victory plateau just one time. San Diego State finished the season tied for fifth place in the league.
The win total could be higher. San Diego State lost four conference road games by four points or less or in overtime (at Colorado State, at Utah, at Brigham Young and at UNLV).
Series history is not on the side of the Aztecs. Utah leads the all-time series 45-9 and swept the season series this season, claiming a 65-61 decision in Salt Lake City on Feb. 7 and 66-53 at Cox Arena last Saturday. The Utes have won 17 of the last 18 meetings between the teams and four of the five games all-time that occurred in postseason. It is worth noting that all five of the postseason games between the teams were in the WAC tournament and two of the five games were contested in Salt Lake City.
The winner of the Utah-San Diego State will meet the Brigham Young-Wyoming winner on Friday at 7 p.m. MST (6 p.m. PST).