SAN DIEGO – Entering a critical six-game stretch in its quest for a third straight regular-season Mountain West title, the San Diego State men's basketball team plays at Fresno State on Saturday evening in the first of four road games in its final six contests.
OFF THE BOUNCE
San Diego State begins a challenging stretch that will have the Aztecs play four of their last six regular-season games on the road in a 15-day period beginning Saturday night with a road game at Fresno State.
The two-time defending outright Mountain West Conference champions have pulled to within one-game in the loss column of the conference leaders (1. Boise State 11-2, 2. Wyoming 10-2, 3. Colorado State 11-3, 4. San Diego State 8-3).
San Diego State is riding a four-game win streak, its second-longest of the season, outscoring the opposition 288-245 (+43 points) during that span.
San Diego State and Fresno State will meet for the 123rd time on Saturday, with the Aztecs owning a 66-56 series lead. This is the most played series in school history.
The Aztecs own a 24-33 record all-time as the road team in the series. SDSU has had better luck in the Save Mart Center, where it has posted an 8-4 record against the Bulldogs. SDSU has won its last three appearances in the venue, including a sweep last season 67-53 (Feb. 18) and 75-57 (Feb. 20).
Overall, regardless of location, San Diego State has won four straight games in the series, the longest streak by either side since the Aztecs took eight consecutive games in the series from 2001-2014.
This marks the fourth straight game in the series that has been played in Fresno. The Bulldogs have not visited Viejas Arena since March 6, 2019 (a 76-74 Aztec win).
San Diego State advanced its win streak to four games on Tuesday night with a 75-66 victory over Utah State. The Aztecs used a 12-0 run late in the first half to take an 8-point halftime lead and enjoyed a double-digit lead the final 12:38 of the game.
The Aztecs shot 51.7 percent from the field and have now won 89 straight games at home and 29 consecutive games regardless of location when shooting at least 50 percent from the floor.
The Aztecs have shot 50 percent or better in each of its last two games for the first time this season.
According to KenPom, San Diego State's two highest offensive efficiency games have come in its last two outings - Utah State 124.0 and Air Force 120.7.
SDSU also owned a 31-28 advantage on the glass. The Aztecs improved to 32-1 the last 33 times it has had a rebound advantage.
Senior guard Matt Bradley continued to make his case for conference player of the year. In the victory over Utah State, he had a game-high 22 points and added five assists and three rebounds. In his last eight games, Bradley is averaging 22.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.3 steals, while connecting on 59-110 from the field (53.6 percent) and 24-41 from beyond the arc (58.5 percent).
Junior forward Keshad Johnson had 14 points, 5-of-6 field goals, and four rebounds in the victory Tuesday. It was the ninth career double-figure scoring game for Johnson (SDSU is 9-0 in those games), with six of those 10-point scoring outings coming in the last 12 games.
Senior guard Adam Seiko reached double figures with 11 points, two rebounds and two assists. In his last 13 games, he has made 20 of his 41 attempts from bonus distance (48.8 percent).
In two of San Diego State's three conference losses, the Aztecs have held a lead inside the final 64 seconds of the game (vs. Boise and at Colorado State). By contrast, three of San Diego State's seven conference victories have come by at least 25 points (Colorado State, UNLV and New Mexico) and six have been by double-figure margins.
That is a major reason San Diego State owns the league's best scoring margin in conference play at +9.6 (second is Boise State at +7.2).
Since Dec. 8, San Diego State is 11-3 and is 2nd nationally in fewest points allowed (56.6), 5th in opponent field goal percentage (37.9), 8th in opponent two-point field goal percentage (42.6) and 12th in opponent effective field goal percentage (44.2).
Once again this season San Diego State ranks among the nation's best in defense. The Aztecs are 3rd in scoring defense (57.7), 8th in effective field goal percentage (43.8), 11th in field goal percentage defense (38.2) and11th in two-point field goal percentage (43.3). In addition, the Aztecs are 1st in Kenpom adjusted defensive efficiency (85.6).
SDSU head coach 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 112-37 overall record and has already been named the national coach of the year and twice named Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year. Among first time head coaches who started in the 2017-18 season, Dutcher's 112 wins are the most and he is the only head coach in the group to reach triple-digit victories.
-SDSU-
Aztecs At Fresno State On Saturday Night
