San Diego State Aztecs @ UNLV Rebels Basketball Recap

San Diego State 63, UNLV 57


The upset was there for the taking. The sixth-ranked San Diego State Aztecs were on the ropes in front of a rocking Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday night. Unfortunately for the UNLV Rebels, the ball simply hasn’t been going in from distance and the Aztecs escaped Sin City with their 10th Mountain West Conference win of the season and remained tied with BYU atop the league. The loss was a bitter pill to swallow for head coach Lon Kruger’s Rebels, who may have assured their spot in the NCAA Tournament in March with a victory of this magnitude. As a consolation, the Rebels still remain on the bubble and will look back at this one as an opportunity lost.

Credit must be given to San Diego State for finding yet another route to securing a tough conference road win. DJ Gay was again tremendous for head coach Steve Fisher’s ballclub. The diminutive guard, who hasn’t committed a turnover in a staggering 158 straight minutes of action, scored 20 points and calmed the Aztecs down in important times on Saturday night. The Aztecs, who trailed only briefly on three occasions all night, led by as many as 12 points in the first half.  Kawhi Leonard garnered yet another double-double despite shooting poorly from the field, scoring 14 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.

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As the second stanza continued, it looked as if the Aztecs were about to put the Rebels’ upset bid to sleep. UNLV simply wouldn’t go away, however. Trailing by nine late in the second half, the Rebels went on a 16-5 run and took the lead on a Tre’Von Willis go-ahead basket with just over three minutes remaining. With a chance to notch a signature victory, the Rebels mysteriously decided to rely on the three-point shot in crunch time. It was a bad decision. Following Willis’s lay-up, the Rebels attempted three-pointers on seven of their next eight possessions. Success did not materialize and San Diego State sealed the victory at the free-throw line. In their two meeting against the Aztecs this season, the Rebels shot a pathetic 2-of-33 beyond the arc.

Where the Rebels failed at three-point efficiency the Aztecs excelled at the free-throw line. San Diego State hit 20 of 22 free-throw attempts and was victorious despite turning the ball over 14 times. Malcolm Thomas had 9 points and 7 rebounds to provide interior help for the Aztecs, who have now won five straight contests and improved their overall record to 25-1. San Diego State has found different ways to win ballgames all season long. This ability just might prove golden in March as the Aztecs try to advance in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in history after six failed attempts in previous years. Gutty wins like this have San Diego State fans thinking one win is not nearly the ceiling.

By: Zach Bloxham
DFN Sports Staff Writer