RENO, Nev. – The San Diego State men's basketball team built an 18-point lead with 12:03 to play in the second half and then held off a furious Nevada comeback to defeat the Wolf Pack 79-78 on Saturday night in the Lawlor Event Center.
With the win and in combination with a Colorado State victory over Boise State earlier in the day, the Aztecs (21-7, 13-4 Mountain West) will be the third seed in next week's 2022 Mountain West Men's Basketball Championship.
Up 79-78 with seven seconds to play, Nathan Mensah blocked a Grant Sherfield shot from the baseline which would have given the Wolf Pack the lead. Sherfield got the rebound and attempted a three-point shot with just under two seconds left, but Keshad Johnson blocked that shot out of bounds. Nevada (12-17, 6-12 Mountain West) had one last chance with two-tenths of a second to go, but its inbounds pass for an alley oop was knocked away by the Aztec defense and San Diego State took home the victory in its regular season finale.
Matt Bradley, one of four Aztecs to finish in double figures, led the team with 24 points, including going 11-of-12 from the line and scored the team's last four points to secure the win. He also had a team-high tying six rebounds. Joining the San Bernardino native in double figures were Trey Pulliam, Lamont Butler and Johnson.
Pulliam finished with 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting and a pair of free throws. He led the team with four assists and grabbed three rebounds. Butler was 4-of-7 from the field, including 2-of-3 from downtown, pulled down three rebounds and had an assist. Johnson made 4-of-6 from the floor which included one 3-pointer grabbed a team-high tying six rebounds and blocked three shots.
The Aztecs first game in the Mountain West Tournament will be on Thursday, March 10 at 8:30 p.m. PT and will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network.
-SDSU-
Aztecs Survive Furious Comeback To Beat UN, 79-78
