San Diego State reaches the halfway point of the conference campaign and concludes a stretch of three games in seven days on Tuesday when the Aztecs play at New Mexico.
The Aztecs have won a season-best three straight games and have been victorious in four of their last five contests (lone loss was a four-point defeat at Fresno State).
Since Jan. 15 (includes SDSU's last five games), the Aztecs own a scoring margin of +11.8 which is tied for 24th nationally.
SDSU's defense continues to improve at a dramatic rate. The Aztecs, who allowed four opponents in a six-game stretch to shoot above 50 percent from the field earlier in the year, rank among the nation's elite in several key defensive categories during the past month (see chart, right). Since Jan. 8, SDSU ranks in the top 25 nationally in opponent two-point field goal percentage (9th), field goal percentage difference (16th) and opponent field goal percentage (17th).
Since Dec. 29, 2018 (which includes Jalen McDaniels' last 10 games), the sophomore is averaging 19.9 points, 10.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists, while shooting 53.7 percent from the field. He is one of only two players in the nation that is averaging 19-10-2 and is shooting at least 50 percent from the field (the other is Belmont's Dylan Windler).
The Aztecs, who defeated the Lobos, 97-77, at Viejas Arena on Jan. 15, are looking to sweep the regular-season series for the first time since 2016. The Aztecs have done that eight times in school history (1982, 1983, 1984, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2016).
The Aztecs and Lobos, both charter members of the Mountain West, rank first and second in men's basketball titles. San Diego State owns a conference record 11-league crowns, while New Mexico has claimed eight championships. No other current league member has more than three.
Brian Dutcher will be on the SDSU sideline for the 45th time in games played between the teams (41 times as part of Steve Fisher's staff and four times as head coach). The Aztecs are 23-21 in those contests.
San Diego State has handed New Mexico seven of its last 42 losses at The Pit (since Feb. 25, 2006). SDSU is 7-6 (53.8 percent) during that timeframe, while the rest of the nation is 35-163 (17.8 percent).
As previously noted, San Diego State won its third straight game on Saturday, claiming a 67-56 decision at San José State. The Aztecs trailed for only 56 seconds in the game and led by double digits the final 7:40 of the game.
McDaniels, who entered the contest with an SDSU MW-era best six straight double-doubles, had 22 points and a team-high nine rebounds. It was the seventh 20-point scoring game of the season and career for the forward.
Senior guard Devin Watson connected on five three-point field goals and tallied 27 points with six assists. The point total was a season best and the highest in his Aztec career. Watson has 15 or more points in each of his last three games, matching the longest stretch of his SDSU career set in late November of his junior season.
Senior guard Jeremy Hemsley produced another impressive game with 11 points and a plus-minus rating of +17 against the Spartans. Hemsley has reached double figures in scoring in four straight games, his longest streak since a five-game stretch during February of his sophomore season.
Although currently in fourth place in the Mountain West, SDSU is only 1-game back in the loss column of second place.
San Diego State is one of just two Mountain West teams that has not dropped a league home game (Nevada).
Men's Basketball Heads to New Mexico
