SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State men's basketball team can't dwell on its last second loss at Colorado State as it gets set to host the Nevada Wolf Pack in Viejas Arena just 43 hours after Friday night's game. The Aztecs and Wolf Pack are set to tip at 1 p.m. PT Sunday with the game being broadcast on CBS Sports Network.
OFF THE BOUNCE
The two teams that have claimed at least a share of the Mountain West Conference regular season title in each of the last eight seasons meet for the first time Sunday in Viejas Arena when Nevada (regular-season champions in 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19) play San Diego State (regular-season champions in 2013-14, 2014-15 (co), 2015-16, 2019-20 and 2020-21).
SDSU has won six straight games against Nevada and leads the overall series, 22-6. The Aztecs have won nine straight at Viejas Arena against the Wolf Pack, with Nevada's lone victory in the building coming on Nov. 14, 1998 (76-71 in overtime), when Nevada was a member of the WAC and prior to Brian Dutcher and Steve Fisher's arrival on campus.
Last season, the Aztecs won all three meetings with the Wolf Pack by a combined total of 14 points. SDSU defeated Nevada twice in San Diego, 65-60 on Jan. 7 and 69-67 on Jan. 9, and 77-70 in the semifinal round of the MWC tournament in Las Vegas (Mar. 12).
The Aztecs are 13-1 in their last 14 games immediately following a loss, and in situations where a loss is followed immediately by a home game, San Diego State has won 20 consecutive contests.
Since Jan. 1, 2019, the Aztecs are 45-5 at home (90.0 percent), tied for the nation's 11th-best record and tops in the Mountain West Conference during that span.
At tipoff Sunday, San Diego State will be 41 hours removed from a heartbreaking, 58-57, setback at Colorado State. The Aztecs trailed by 20 points with 10:15 remaining but used a 13-0 run capped by a Lamont Butler three-point field goal to give SDSU a 58-57 advantage with 14 seconds remaining. That was SDSU's only lead of the game. David Roddy's jumper with :09 left put CSU on top and Matt Bradley was unable to convert on his subsequent drive (that drew a lot of contact) as time expired.
On a night when offense was at a premium, senior guard Matt Bradley was nothing short of sensational. He tied a season-high with a game-high 27 points, including 18 points after intermission. He was 4-for-7 from three-point range, had four rebounds and drew six fouls on CSU in the contest.
Although SDSU struggled from the floor, the defense was again put on a clinic. The Aztecs held Colorado State to 58 points, its lowest in a home game since Dec. 13, 2019. In addition, SDSU held the Rams to 40.8 percent field goal shooting, 5-of-19 from three-point range (26.3 percent), outrebounded CSU by a margin of 12 (43-31) and forced 15 turnovers.
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 four conference victories have come by at least 25 points (Colorado State, UNLV and New Mexico).
That is one reason that in conference play, the two-time defending outright Mountain West Conference champions own the league's best scoring margin in conference play.
In all, beginning last Friday, San Diego State is scheduled to play 11 times (five at home, six away) in the next 30 days (Feb. 4 - Mar. 5).
Since Dec. 8, San Diego State is 7-2 and is 1st nationally in fewest points allowed (54.7), opponent field goal percentage (35.6), opponent two-point field goal percentage (39.7). The Aztecs are 2nd in opponent effective field goal percentage (41.8).
Once again this season San Diego State ranks among the nation's best in defense. The Aztecs are 3rd in field goal percentage defense (37.1), 4th in scoring defense (56.9), 5th in effective field goal percentage (42.4), 7th in two-point field goal percentage (42.0) and 17th in three-point field goal percentage defense (28.8). In addition, the Aztecs are 2nd in Kenpom adjusted defensive efficiency (84.4).
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 108-37 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 107 wins are the most and he is the only head coach in the group to reach triple-digit victories.
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