LAS VEGAS – San Diego State and New Mexico punched their tickets to the Mountain West championship sport with victories within the semifinals Friday evening at Thomas & Mack Enviornment.
This season marks the seventh 12 months the Aztecs have reached the title sport and the tenth title sport within the final 11. As for the Lobos, it’s their first championship sport look since 2018. The 2 squared off in that title sport, which SDSU received by seven factors.
Turning again to this 12 months’s event, right here’s how the 2 packages arrange their date.
Fifth-seeded San Diego State knocked off No. 1 Utah State 86-70. SDSU trailed 34-17 13 minutes into the sport however closed the primary half on a 19-5 run to drag inside three heading into the locker room. After the break, the Aztecs carried the momentum to 50 factors within the second 20 minutes.
“This workforce has all the time had nice resolve,” SDSU head coach Brian Dutcher mentioned, in keeping with The San Diego Union-Tribune. “It’s bought an amazing grit about it. And we get down 17 within the first half, we don’t panic. We simply struggle our approach again, struggle, struggle, struggle.”
With the sport tied at 51, SDSU scored 12 of the subsequent 14 factors to take a double-digit lead, and the lead was by no means inside two scores once more. The Aztecs shot 51.6% from the ground within the second half.
A quintet of gamers notched double figures. Jaedon LeDee posted a game-high 22 factors and pulled down eight rebounds. Lamont Butler contributed 16. Micah Parrish added 15. Reese Waters and Darrion Trammell chipped in 11 and 10, respectively.
The second semifinal noticed No. 6 New Mexico safe a 74-61 win over No. 7 Colorado State. The Lobos scored the primary 11 factors of the competition and led wire to wire. The Rams pulled even at 25, however UNM responded with the ultimate eight factors of the primary half to guide on the intermission. It held CSU scoreless during the last 6:48 of the interval.
“We’re all enjoying for one thing greater than only a Mountain West championship sport,” New Mexico guard Jaelen Home advised CBS Sports activities’ Evan Washburn after the sport. “We wish to get to the [NCAA] Match and make some noise.”
Home led the Lobos with a team-high 19 factors and eight assists. JT Toppin simply missed a double-double with 16 factors and 9 boards. Mustapha Amzil was additionally in double figures with 10.
San Diego State and New Mexico break up their two conferences throughout the common season with every workforce profitable at dwelling. The Lobos received 88-70 at The Pit on Jan. 13, and the Aztecs returned the favor 81-70 at Viejas Enviornment on Feb. 16.