San Diego State Aztecs vs Colorado State Rams Basketball Recap

San Diego State 66, Colorado State 48


It’s really odd to say this, but life can be quite odd in an infinite variety of ways: One sexual act has enabled one basketball team to gain a share of a conference championship. There’s really no other way to say it, but it’s true.

The San Diego State Aztecs defeated the Colorado State Rams in Mountain West Conference competition from Viejas Arena in San Diego, California, on Saturday evening. The win gave head coach Steve Fisher’s Aztecs a share of the Mountain West Conference championship with Brigham Young University. Despite losing both games to BYU this season, the Aztecs were the beneficiaries of the New Mexico Lobos’ two victories over BYU, especially a Wednesday night win that was facilitated by the suspension of Cougar post player Brandon Davies due to an act of premarital sex which violated Brigham Young’s honor code. Had Davies been in the lineup for BYU this past week against “Los Lobos,” San Diego State probably wouldn’t have been playing for a share of the Mountain West when it took the court on Saturday. However, that’s the lucky hand the Aztecs were dealt, and to their credit, they didn’t waste their good fortune (albeit fortune that came at Brandon Davies’ immense expense).

In what was the game’s suddenly overlooked side note, Colorado State dropped to just 9-7 in conference play and saw its already cloudy NCAA Tournament chances become even more dim. Most Mountain West observers were ready to focus on Colorado State’s tenuous bubble existence as the main storyline in this contest, but when BYU’s week of controversy and on-court frailty opened the door for San Diego State, the headlines abruptly shifted away from the CSU crew. Again, life can be odd in an infinite number of ways.

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On Senior Night in San Diego, the ninth-ranked Aztecs dominated the second half and blew open what was a close game in the first 20 minutes of play. San Diego State scored 10 straight points at the start of the second half to turn a 27-all halftime tie into a 37-27 bulge. The Aztecs seized that advantage with two-fisted totality and continued to build upon it all the way to the final horn. The game-ending point spread was the Aztecs’ biggest lead of the night. Kawhi Leonard notched yet another double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds. Despite shooting just 2-of-18 beyond the arc, the Aztecs were able to use their superior athleticism in the frontcourt to wear out the visiting Rams, who competed for 20 minutes but couldn’t hang for 40 on the road.

Colorado State shot just 36 percent from the field, making just 2-of-12 attempts from long distance. The Rams and head coach Tim Miles needed a signature victory to hang on their tournament resume. On Saturday evening, that project was undone by an inability to score the basketball against a formidable defensive ballclub, a ballclub that – thanks to a controversy that swept through Brigham Young University this past week – was able to steal a piece of the 2011 Mountain West title.

By: Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer