San Diego State knocks off Utah State, moves into first-place tie in Mountain West

How much it helps Aztecs’ NCAA tourney resume remains to be seen

San Diego State Aztecs guard Reese Dixon-Waters (39). | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

At the very least, the San Diego State Aztecs  pulled into a first-place tie atop the Mountain West with Utah State with a clutch 89-72 win against the Aggies on Wednesday night at Viejas Arena. 

Whether it can help resuscitate the Aztecs’ flat-lining chances for an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament remains to be seen. 

Reese Dixon-Waters hit three 3-point shots in the first half and finished with 20 points to help the Aztecs overturn an early deficit and claim the win to snap a two-game losing streak that may have doomed their at-large chances. 

The Aztecs got a scare when Magoon Gwath, the 7-footer who has struggled with injuries this season, including missing six straight games recently, limped off the court with about 10 minutes left with an apparent leg injury. But he later returned. 

While Dixon-Waters was going off on offense, the Aztecs held Utah State’s two leading scorers, MJ Collins (17.9 points, third in the MW) and Mason Falslev (16.1 points, seventh in the MW) in check until late in the game. Collins scored 18 and Falslev 14.

Resume implications

The Quad 1 win was the best victory of the season for the Aztecs (19-8, 13-4), who on Tuesday were listed as the third team out of the Field of 68 by ESPN bracket expert Joe Lunardi. 

SDSU has two more Quad 1 opportunities — in consecutive road games at New Mexico and Boise State, where they have struggled in past years. 

This was just the second Quad 1 win in six chances for the Aztecs, whose only other win in that category was at Nevada on Jan. 6.

The Aztecs can always earn a sixth straight trip to the NCAAs by winning the conference tournament, but winning three games in as many days might be a big ask for a team that hasn’t played well lately. 

Utah State (23-5, 13-4) lost its second straight game overall and had its three-game winning streak against the Aztecs snapped.

Utah State came in No. 23 in the NCAA NET Rankings while the Aztecs were No. 46. The NCAA NET Rankings are used by the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee as the primary sorting tool for selection and seeding for March Madness.

Game action

Taj DeGourville scored 12 points while Pharoh Compton and Tae Simmons each added 11 points for the Aztecs. Gwath had nine points, nine rebounds and one blocked shot. Gwath missed six straight games with a hip flexor injury, had a nice performance in his first game back but was a non-factor in the previous two games.

Gwath banked in a 3-pointer just before the clock expired for a 44-32 halftime lead. 

Dixon-Waters’ three 3-pointers in the first half helped the Aztecs pull ahead by double digits. 

Up next

The Aztecs head back on the road to face New Mexico, the MW’s other bubble team, on Saturday morning. Tipoff is set for 11 a.m. PT and the game will air on CBS.

It will be the final regular-season visit to the Pit, a trip the Aztecs won’t miss when they move into the Pac-12 next season while the Lobos stay behind in the MW. The Pit sits at 5,100 feet elevation, which places both a physical and mental strain on visitors. 

In the latest ESPN Bracketology, New Mexico is the last team into the Field of 68 despite its loss at Nevada on Tuesday night, while the Aztecs have dropped into the Last Four Out.