SAN DIEGO – Playing the first of its final four games of the regular season and the penultimate game in Viejas Arena for the 2021-22 regular season, the San Diego State men's basketball team hosts the San Jose State Spartans on Friday evening. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. PT and the game will be broadcast on FS1.
OFF THE BOUNCE
With only two home games remaining, San Diego State enters its final push to the postseason by playing its third game in seven days against longtime conference opponent San Jose State on Friday. Game time is set for 8 p.m. PT.
The Aztecs and Spartans will meet for the 80th time, with the Aztecs owning a 44-35 series advantage.
SDSU has won the last eight meetings in the series, with the last Spartan win coming on Feb. 7, 2017.
SDSU has won all 10 all-time meetings in Viejas Arena and are 30-8 all-time at home against the Spartans. SJSU's last victory against the Aztecs in "America's Finest City" came on Feb. 27, 1997 (25 years ago Sunday).
With four regular-season games remaining for the Aztecs, the tightly contested conference race continues to be for the grabs. SDSU, the two-time defending outright regular-season champions, could still finish anywhere from first to seventh.
San Diego State is looking to respond from a devastating loss Tuesday night in Boise. The Aztecs and Broncos saw the lead change hands four times in the final 64 seconds with Boise claiming a 58-57 victory.
San Diego State has played 40 consecutive games without suffering consecutive losses (last time was Jan. 14 and Jan. 16, 2021 at Utah State). That is the only time the Aztecs have lost back-to-back games in its last 91 games.
SDSU has responded from its last eight losses by winning the following game. The average margin of victory in those eight contests is 17.1 points, with seven of those eight games being decided by double figures.
When the Aztecs have a home game immediately following a loss, San Diego State has won 21 consecutive games.
San Diego State's NCAA metric profile continues to improve. The Aztecs are 31st in the NET, 23rd in KenPom, 29th in Sagarin Rating and 31st in BPI.
Tuesday in Boise, San Diego State rallied from a 12-point deficit, including a 10-point deficit at half, twice in the final 64 seconds - first on a left-wing three-point goal by Chad Baker-Mazara with 1:04 to play and on a Nathan Mensah slam dunk with 24 seconds left - only to lose its second one-point game of the conference season.
The Aztecs owned a field goal percentage advantage of 11.8 percent (45.8 to 34.0) in the contest. The Aztecs are now 68-3 the last 71 times it has had an advantage in the category and is now 38-2 the last 40 times it has held the opposition to 35 percent or less from the floor (both losses came this season against Boise State).
Senior forward Nathan Mensah posted his first double-double of the season and the sixth of his career with a team-high 13 points and a game-high 11 rebounds against the Broncos. SDSU fell to 12-1 when Mensah has at least 10 rebounds.
Senior forward Matt Bradley posted his 91st career double-digit scoring game with 12 points, six rebounds and five assists.
Senior forward Joshua Tomaic continued his excellent play of late, scoring seven points, on 3-of-3 shooting, while adding two rebounds in 13 minutes. The senior is averaging 6.0 points and 3.3 rebounds and has connected on 15-of-18 shots from the field (83.3 percent) in his last six games.
According to KenPom, San Diego State's has had three of its best seven highest offensive efficiency games of the season have come in three of its last four outings - Utah State 124.0, Air Force 120.7 and at Fresno State 110.5 (highest offensive rating away from home this season).
In three of San Diego State's four conference losses, the Aztecs have held a lead inside the final 64 seconds of the game (vs. Boise, at Colorado State and at Boise State). By contrast, three of San Diego State's nine conference victories have come by at least 25 points (Colorado State, UNLV and New Mexico) and seven 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 +9.4 (second is Boise State at +7.0).
Since Dec. 8, San Diego State is 12-4 and is 2nd nationally in fewest points allowed (55.9), 4th in opponent field goal percentage (37.4), 4th in opponent two-point field goal percentage (41.4) and 7th in opponent effective field goal percentage (43.9).
Once again this season San Diego State ranks among the nation's best in defense. The Aztecs are 2nd in scoring defense (57.1), 6th in field goal percentage defense (37.9), 6th in two-point field goal percentage (42.6) and 7th in effective field goal percentage (43.6). In addition, the Aztecs are 2nd in Kenpom adjusted defensive efficiency (86.5).
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 113-37 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 113 wins are the most and he is the only head coach in the group to reach triple-digit victories.
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Aztecs Host SJSU In 2021-22 Penultimate Home Game
