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Mountain West Conference Basketball Weekly Recap
Scores
Monday, January 9
Air Force 67, Texas-Pan American 50
Wyoming 73, Idaho State 49
Tuesday, January 10
San Diego State 73, Chicago State 65
Wednesday, January 11
TCU 88, Texas-Pan American 58
Colorado State 79, Denver 75
Saturday, January 14
San Diego State 69, UNLV 67
New Mexico 72, Wyoming 62
Air Force 74, Boise State 59
Colorado State 95, TCU 89 (2OT)
Last year, the Mountain West Conference put on a show, as Brigham Young (before departing for the West Coast Conference) engaged San Diego State in classic battles that captured the attention of the country. The Cougars and Aztecs traded punches, building the profile of basketball in the Rocky Mountain region and showing that teams other than Gonzaga, UCLA, Saint Mary's, and Arizona could carry the banner for schools west of the Mississippi River.
Now, the Mountain West is still delivering high-quality ball, but now the rivalry of choice is between the UNLV Runnin' Rebels and the San Diego State Aztecs. The two clubs staged a thriller this past Saturday in San Diego, showcasing two teams who will likely represent the league in the NCAA Tournament.
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The Mountain West includes a New Mexico club which passed a worthy test against Wyoming on Saturday, buttressing its credentials as an at-large club come March, but for at least one weekend, the focus was on the Rebels and Aztecs, who put on a show on the Montezuma Mesa.
San Diego State and UNLV traded punches for 40 minutes in a competition that was as fierce as everyone anticipated. San Diego State threw most of the blows early on and still nursed a six-point lead for portions of the second half, but UNLV - an undaunted club that has already defeated North Carolina this season - was consistently able to respond. Back and forth the seesaw struggle went, all the way until the final minute. San Diego State's one-point lead felt particularly tenuous with 23 seconds left when UNLV went to the foul line for two attempts and a chance to pull in front. However, the Rebels' Brice Massamba - clearly nervous and displaying poor technique at the charity stripe - missed one foul shot and saw his second attempt rattle into the bucket. With the score merely tied, San Diego State had the mental cushion of knowing that even if it missed, it would go to overtime. The Aztecs properly and patiently milked the clock, and with four seconds left, SDSU's Jamaal Franklin finally made his move to the goal as he drove the middle of the lane. Franklin released a finger roll from five feet with two seconds left, and the ball went through the net with 0.3 seconds to go. The arena erupted in cheers, and the Aztecs won the first of what could be as many as three games against UNLV this season.The third could be in the Mountain West Tournament. It would be something to see, just like last year's games between BYU and San Diego State.
By: Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer