SAN DIEGO - The San Diego State Aztecs and New Mexico Lobos meet for the 97th time in its all-time series, with New Mexico holding a 51-45 advantage overall, but in the Mountain West era, San Diego State has a 28-25 lead in the series, and head coach Brian Dutcher is 7-5.
OFF THE BOUNCE
The Aztecs have a six-game disadvantage in the all-time series, including a 13-31 record in The Pit. However, it’s a facility where Brian Dutcher is 7-5, including a 28-point, 85-57 win on January 29, 2020. It remains the largest margin of victory for a New Mexico opponent in The Pit, since a 30-point loss to Utah on January 21, 2002.
This game is the Aztecs second of three in a seven-day span, which started on Wednesday in a 67-38 win over Air Force. The 38 points allowed by the Aztecs are the fewest they’ve given up since also surrendering 38 vs. Air Force on March 1, 2017. They match the fewest allowed since giving up 34 vs. New Mexico on Jan. 26, 2014.
The Air Force win marked 7,254 days or 19 years, 10 months and 11 days since SDSU’s last home loss to Air Force (Feb. 28, 2005).
Prior to the Air Force game, San Diego State was the only Division I team leading its conference in blocks per game, scoring defense, field-goal percentage defense and three-point percentage defense. The only MW team to ever do that in a full season was the Aztecs in 2021-22.
Just over a third of the way through the season, San Diego State is once again trending as one of the nation’s best in defense. After the games of January 9, according to KenPom, the Aztecs are 2nd in block percentage, No. 7 in 2-point percentage defense, No. 6 in effective field goal percentage defense, 8th in adjusted defensive efficiency, and 17th in 3-point percentage defense.
The Aztecs are holding opponent shooters to 35.5 percent from the floor, which is No. 1 in the Mountain West and No. 3 in the nation and is one of three programs who are limiting opponents to a combined maximum of 35.7 percent from the floor and 28.3 percent from beyond the arc (also: Houston & Tennessee).
The Aztecs enter today’s game with seven victories in their last eight games and the lone loss was by one point against Utah State. In those seven wins, SDSU is shooting .437 from the field, including .341 from the bonus distance, and is averaging 75.5 points per game, with an average margin of victory of 17.2 points. Defensively, in those games, the team limited its opponents to a .331 shooting percentage, including .242 from beyond the arc and for the season has limited the opposition to 35.5 percent shooting overall, which ranks No. 3 nationally.
San Diego State’s defense, despite eight newcomers, is...San Diego State defense. In its 12 Division I games, SDSU has held eight opponents to their worst shooting game of the season and for two of the remaining four, they had their 2nd worst field goal percentage games.
The Aztecs showed California what stifling defense looks like back on December 21, in holding a Golden Bears team that shot 47.5 percent from the floor coming into the game to just 25.5 percent, Cal’s fourth worst shooting game in the last 30 years. SDSU also limited Cal, a 38.1 percent shooting team from the bonus distance to 20.8 percent.
San Diego State leads the Mountain West with 5.8 blocked shots per game and is No. 6 in the nation. San Diego State has received 36 of its 75 blocks this year (48.0 percent) from freshman Magoon Gwath, who is No. 7 in the nation (2.77/g).
San Diego State has wins over No. 21 Creighton and No. 6 Houston, to take third place at the inaugural Players Era Festival, at Fresno State and versus the University of San Diego, California Baptist, versus California, at Boise State and Air Force in its last eight.
Freshman Magoon Gwath ranks No. 7 in the nation in blocks per game (2.77) and No. 4 Kenpom’s block percentage and No. 10 in total blocks (36). Gwath has a triumvirate of five block games: vs. No. 3 Gonzaga, No. 6 Houston & Oregon.
In limiting California to just 25.5 percent shooting last Saturday, the Aztecs have held eight of its first 12 Division I opponents to less than 40 percent shooting, including seven games of less than 35.0 percent and three under 30.0 percent.
Freshman wing Magoon Gwath enjoyed a 25-point, 10-rebound and four-block game in the team’s 84-62 win at Fresno State on December 4. He became the first Aztec freshman to have a game of at least 25 points and 10 rebounds since Kawhi Leonard totaled 25 and 12 against Wyoming on January 9, 2010, and is the only freshman in the nation with a game of at least 25 points, 10 boards and four blocks this year.
With the Aztecs 67-38 win over Air Force, San Diego State is 97-7 in the Brian Dutcher era, when it limits its opponent to 60 or fewer points. Overall, the Aztecs have won 31 straight when holding the opposition to 60 points or less and are 104-8 in its last 112.
In the team’s 73-70 overtime win against No. 6 Houston, the Aztecs overcame both a 5-point halftime deficit and trailed by 11-point with 14:58 to play to send the game to overtime and ultimately its 3-point win. The victory was Brian Dutcher’s 15th win in 26 games against top 25 opponents. Dutcher is the only head coach in program history with a winning record against ranked teams and it was the program’s first win against a top-10 team since a 71-64 victory over No. 1 Alabama in the Sweet 16 of the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
In the Aztecs 100-49 win over Occidental on November 12, numerous highlights were achieved both as a program. It was the first time since the 2018-19 season SDSU scored 100 points in a game, not including overtime games. The team’s 37-point halftime lead was its biggest since a 46-point lead in the 2013-14 campaign. The Aztecs’ 18 three-pointers were one off the Viejas Arena and program record, set on Dec. 2, 2022, against Occidental.
San Diego State, which in 2023-24 reached the Mountain West Tournament championship game for the seventh time in head coach Brian Dutcher’s seven seasons, looks for its unprecedented 17th Mountain West men’s basketball title. Entering the 2024-25 season, San Diego State has won nine regular season and seven Mountain West tournament titles, the most of any program that has ever been a member of the league.
Brian Dutcher is in his eighth season as San Diego State’s head coach and his 26th season on the Aztec sidelines. In his seven-plus seasons as head coach, he has led the Aztecs to five conference titles, seven Mountain West championship game appearances, a 187-61 overall record and 94-33 mark in league games, both league leading in that time frame, has been named the national coach of the year, twice the Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year and led this team to back-to-back Sweet 16s including a run to the 2023 NCAA national championship game.