SAN DIEGO – In its first trip to the Bay Area since the 2018-19 season, the San Diego State men's basketball team is in San Jose on Wednesday night to face the San Jose State Spartans, a team it has beaten in seven straight games and 14 of its last 15 meetings. The game is scheduled to tip at 8 p.m. PT and will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network.
OFF THE BOUNCE
San Diego State looks to build on the momentum gained in Sunday's come-from-behind victory over Nevada as the Aztecs travel north for a contest against longtime foe, San Jose State on Wednesday.
SDSU has exchanged wins and losses over its past six games and is looking to claim consecutive victories for the first time since Jan. 1 and Jan. 8.
This is the first game in a stretch of three games in seven days for San Diego State. The Aztecs will play host to Air Force on Saturday and Utah State on Tuesday.
The Aztecs and Spartans are meeting for the 79th time in a series that dates back to 1936. The series has been competitive over the years, with San Diego State owning a 43-35 series lead.
San Diego State has controlled the series of late, winning the past seven meetings and posting a 14-1 mark in the last 15 encounters. The Aztecs average winning margin during the current six-game win streak is 17.7 points.
The Aztecs are just 12-26 lifetime in San Jose, including a 5-4 mark at the Event Center. However, SDSU is 5-1 in its six visits to the Event Center this century, with all five of those wins coming by double figures.
Less than 48 hours after overcoming a 20-point second-half deficit at Colorado State in a 58-57 setback to the Rams, the Aztecs rallied from a 13-point deficit to defeat Nevada, 65-63, for the seventh consecutive win in the series. The Aztecs were outshot from the field (44.2-to-40.4 percent), outrebounded (35-28) and the Wolf Pack was 10-of-19 (52.6 percent) from three-point range, but San Diego State were +7 in turnover margin (turnovers: SDSU 9, Nevada 16) and went 17-of-23 from the free throw line to claim the victory.
The Aztecs overcame an opponent making 10 treys and shooting better than 50 percent from beyond the arc to win a game for the first time since Feb. 23, 2013.
Mountain West Conference Player of the Year candidate Matt Bradley was once again sensational in the game. He led the Aztecs in scoring (26), rebounding (7), assists (3) and steals (3). He reached the 20-point plateau for the 30th time in his career and he joined Jalen McDaniels, Jamaal Franklin and Brandon Heath as the only Aztec players in the Brian Dutcher-Steve Fisher era to produce a 26-7-3-3 game.
The senior guard has been great all season but incredible of late. In the last five games, Bradley is averaging 22.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.6 blocked shots while shooting 55.1 percent from the field and 56.0 percent (124-of-25) from three-point range.
Senior forward Joshua Tomaic produced his best game of the season, scoring eight points on 3-of-4 shooting from the field, and adding a season-high five rebounds. The Aztecs were a +12 with Tomaic on the court in the win over the Wolf Pack.
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 five 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 (see chart at bottom of page 1).
In all, beginning Feb. 4, 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 8-3 and is 1st nationally in fewest points allowed (55.5), 2nd in opponent two-point field goal percentage (39.7), 4th in opponent field goal percentage (36.4), 5th in opponent effective field goal percentage (42.9) and 25th in turnovers forced per game (15.7).
Once again this season San Diego State ranks among the nation's best in defense. The Aztecs are 4th in scoring defense (57.2), 5th in field goal percentage defense (37.5), 7th in effective field goal percentage (43.0), 7th in two-point field goal percentage (41.9). In addition, the Aztecs are 1st in Kenpom adjusted defensive efficiency (85.1).
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 109-37 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.
-SDSU-
Aztecs Travel To The Bay Area To Face San Jose State
