SAN DIEGO – Returning to the friendly confines of Viejas Arena, where it has won each of its four home games this year and its last 13 straight, the San Diego State men's basketball team hosts the Cal State Fullerton Titans on Wednesday evening in a non-conference matchup. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. PT and the game will be seen on YurView (Channel 4).
OFF THE BOUNCE
Owners of the nation's third-best winning percentage since the start of the 2019-20 campaign, San Diego State plays its third of four meetings against a Big West opponent this season, when the Aztecs welcome Cal State Fullerton to Viejas Arena on Wednesday evening.
San Diego State is undefeated in its last 29 games against Big West competition, including victories over UC Riverside (66-53) and Long Beach State (72-47) earlier this season.
San Diego State will play four teams from the Big West this season, UC Riverside, Long Beach State, Cal State Fullerton and UC San Diego. The Aztecs are a combined 83-32 (.722) against the four schools and have won 31 straight.
San Diego State has won its four home games this year, is 31-of-34 (.912) at home since the start of the 2019-20 season, and 154-23 (.870) in games played in Viejas Arena since the start of the 2010-11 season.
In its last 31 home wins, dating to the start of the 2019-20 season, San Diego State owns a scoring margin of +16.9.
Since the beginning of the 2009-10 campaign, San Diego State's 174-23 home record is ninth nationally.
San Diego State continues to be an elite defensive team. Nationally, according to KenPom, the Aztecs are 9th in defensive efficiency, 19th in field goal percentage defense and 32nd in 3-point percentage defense. San Diego State has held six of its eight opponents to less than 39.3 shooting from the field and denied Long Beach State a 3-point field goal on all of its 11 attempts.
San Diego State will be without sophomore guard Lamont Butlerfor the second consecutive game. Butler, who had 11 points, three assists and three steals in the Long Beach State, suffered a wrist injury and will miss the Cal State Fullerton contest. For the season, the sophomore is averaging 9.7 points (3rd on the team), 2.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists.
The last time out, San Diego State lost at No. 24 Michigan, 72-58. The 14-point margin was the second largest for the Aztecs this season having lost to No. 24 Southern California by 15 points in the championship game of the Paycom Wooden Legacy (Nov. 26).
In its 72-58 loss at Michigan on Dec. 4, San Diego State played its first regular season game in the eastern time zone since Dec. 17, 2014, a 71-62 overtime loss at Cincinnati.
The Aztecs are 10-1 in their last 11 games immediately following a loss, and in situations where a loss is followed immediately by a home game, San Diego State has won 17 consecutive contests.
Senior guard Matt Bradley scored a team high 22 points (9-of-16 FG) with four rebounds and two assists and two steals. In his last five games he has shot 42.9 percent (24-of-56) from the field and has four double digit scoring games.
Senior guard Trey Pulliam played a season and career high 37:29 and scored seven points, added five rebounds, two assists and two steals. It marked the eighth time in his major college career he has grabbed at least five rebounds in a game and was one off his career high.
Senior forward Nathan Mensah rejected two shots and moved into tie with San Diego State Hall of Famer Michael Cage for 4th on the program's all-time list. He has multiple blocks in five straight games (14 total) and at least one blocked shot (27 total) in 15 straight games.
Sophomore guard Keith Dinwiddie Jr., has scored 20 points in the last two games, after totaling 11 in the first six contests of the season. The 20 points in back-to-back outings mark the highest-two game scoring total of his career.
Brian Dutcher is in his fifth season as San Diego State's head coach and his 23rd season on the Aztec sidelines. In his four plus seasons as head coach, he has led the Aztecs to four conference titles, a 101-34 overall record and has already been named the national coach of the year and twice named Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year.
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