March 12, 2015
San Diego State-UNLV Final Box
Final Stats | Quotes | Notes | Photo Gallery
LAS VEGAS -
By Mick McGrane
If he didn't entirely exorcise the ghost of X, Aqeel Quinn certainly emerged from its shadow.
During a season in which a successor to Xavier Thames was discussed more frequently at San Diego State than problematic parking, Quinn bore an eerie resemblance Thursday night as the second-seeded Aztecs ousted No.7 seed UNLV 67-64 in the quarterfinals of the Mountain West Tournament at the Thomas & Mack Center.
SDSU (25-7) will meet No.3 seed Colorado State (27-5) in Friday night's semifinals at 8:30. The teams split their regular-season series, with the Rams winning 79-73 on Jan. 24 in Fort Collins and the Aztecs taking a 72-63 decision at Viejas Arena on Feb. 14.
Thames, who steered SDSU to its second Sweet 16 appearance in four years last season, was widely viewed as having left the program vacant of anything resembling a point guard, bereft of a proverbial "go-to" guy, a player who never wavers when the heat becomes overly hot.
If there was an heir, he wasn't apparent.
He is now.
Quinn, the walk-on/transfer from Cal State Northridge who was viewed as capable but unconvincing given Thames' stature on a team that finished 31-5 last season, turned in the second-highest scoring performance of his career, finishing with 21 points and helping fuel a 12-0 run to open the second half that erased a six-point SDSU deficit at intermission.
"It's a wave of emotions," said Quinn, who connected on a career-high-tying eight field goals and hit five of his six three-point attempts after going 4-for-11 beyond the arc in his previous four games. "At one moment you're up, and the next you're kind of biting your fingernails. It's fun; it's competitive. I know every guy in (our) locker room loves those types of games."
Even junior forward Winston Shepard.
Despite not enjoying the most memorable of shooting nights, Shepard was able to muscle in his own miss and give the Aztecs a 64-59 lead after UNLV had cut the deficit to 61-59 on a basket by Cody Doolin with 34 seconds left. Prior to that moment, Shepard had been 1-of-8 from the field for an SDSU side that didn't take its first lead until 2:58 had elapsed in the second half.
"First and foremost, I want to thank Coach (Steve Fisher) for putting me back in...it wasn't my best night," said Shepard, who nonetheless posted his second double-double of the season and third of his career with 12 points and 10 rebounds and was responsible for the Aztecs' final five points. "I pride myself on coming through in the clutch. That's what matters. I made some plays, as did (senior forward JJ O'Brien and Quinn). We live to fight another day, so I'll be OK."
UNLV? Not so much. The Aztecs, who trailed at the half in all three games against the Rebels this season, beat UNLV for a school-record sixth straight time. SDSU is the first team since 2000-01 in NCAA Division I basketball to win in an opponent's home arena four times in a two-year period.
O'Brien, named to the Mountain West coaches' all-league first team and all-defensive team earlier this week, finished with 15 points (11 in the second half) and was 6-of-6 from the foul line. It was O'Brien's jumper that gave SDSU its first lead at 30-29 with 17:02 left. The Aztecs never again trailed, using an 11-4 run to put the game away after UNLV had tied it at 49 with just over 7:00 left.
"It definitely starts with the coaching staff," O'Brien said when asked about the Aztecs' ability to overcome adversity in a game's latter stages. "You know, they are guys that don't shake under pressure, as well, so it trickles down to us. We're able to keep our cool under pressure, keep our cool in tight games.
"It's about making winning plays. It starts in practice, putting us in situations where we've got to make those plays."