Miles Byrd, San Diego State hold off Wyoming: 3 takeaways
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San Diego State (20-7, 13-5) avoided a disastrous loss on Saturday night, holding off a pesky Wyoming team for a 72-69 victory at Arena-Auditorium in Laramie, Wyoming.
Wyoming (12-18, 5-14) held a 34-33 halftime lead and went ahead by as many as five points early in the second half before San Diego State mounted their comeback.
Miles Byrd, BJ Davis and Jared Coleman-Jones each finished in double figures while point guard Nick Boyd dished out seven assists in the victory. It marked San Diego State’s 13th consecutive win over the Cowboys dating back to 2017. The Aztecs will close out the regular season against UNLV and Nevada before opening the conference tournament in Las Vegas on March 13.
Here are three takeaways from Saturday’s victory.
CLEANING UP THE LITTLE THINGS
From afar San Diego State’s numbers on Saturday would appear to have led to a lopsided victory against Wyoming. The Aztecs shot 50 percent from the game, knocked down seven of 19 three-point attempts and only committed seven turnovers. They held the Cowboys to eight of 27 from three-point range and forced them into 17 turnovers. Despite all that, Wyoming had possession and a chance to tie the game in the final seconds.
The Aztecs missed 13 free throws including two from Jared Coleman-Jones with six seconds left that would have sealed the game. They also were outrebounded 39-23 by the Cowboys with no Aztec finishing with more than five rebounds. With seven-footer Magoon Gwath still sidelined with a hyperextended knee, San Diego State must finish off their defensive possessions with rebounds as the conference tournament nears.
MILES BYRD AND BJ DAVIS LEAD THE OFFENSE
After a stretch of nine games during January and February in which Miles Byrd struggled offensively, he appears to have turned things around this week. Byrd and sophomore guard BJ Davis each led San Diego State with 18 points on Saturday night, combining to shoot 12 of 22.
Davis finished in double figures for the 13th time this season and matched his career high by knocking down four three-pointers. Over the past three games, Davis is averaging 13 points per game and has made 10 of his 16 three-point attempts.
THE CONFERENCE RACE TIGHTENS
Colorado State made a big statement on Saturday afternoon, leaving no doubt in a 93-66 win over Utah State in Fort Collins. The Rams currently sit outside of the projected NCAA tournament field but appear to be playing their best basketball at the right time. The win pulled them into a tie for second place in the conference standings, one game behind New Mexico with two games to play. With San Diego State and Boise State both winning, the Aztecs and Broncos are still alive to share a conference title though odds remain low. Both teams secured a top five seed in the conference tournament with Saturday’s wins, earning their spot into the quarterfinal round. For San Diego State it’s their eight straight season they’ve earned a bye into the quarterfinal round.
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-770033d1c5c4820fdbde4ecf2452e810.jpg "Bodie De Silva")
Bodie DeSilva has been covering sports in San Diego for more than a decade. He previously covered San Diego State athletics for Scout/Fox Sports.