For the fifth straight season, the three-seeded San Diego State Aztecs (23-7,13-4 MWC) are headed to the Mountain West Championship game. In Mar. 11’s semifinal game, SDSU secured a 63-58 win over the two-seeded Colorado State Rams (25-5, 14-4 MWC).
The game was back and forth from the start but San Diego State was able to pull out in front by nine at the half. David Roddy and Colorado State clawed their way back into the game time and time again in the second half. The no. 23 nationally-ranked Rams fought hard all game but came up just short with a five-point loss, courtesy of some clutch late-game free throws for the Aztecs’ Adam Seiko.
For the second consecutive night, the Aztecs won the third matchup of the season against their opponent without strong offensive support from Matt Bradley.
If head coach Brian Dutcher’s team is to play well in the NCAA tournament, they will need more offensive production. However, with opponents primarily game planning for Bradley, it is relieving to see other players step up during crunch time. In fact, all nine Aztecs who stepped on the floor in the rubber match against the Rams scored at least once.
Matt Bradley scored six points with five rebounds, Nathan Mensah scored nine points with six rebounds, and Trey Pulliam topped the rest of the team with 11 points and six assists. Off the bench, Aguek Arop scored nine points to go along with Seiko’s second consecutive double-digit scoring game with 10 points.
It was a different case for the Rams who only scored 15 points aside from 22 from David Roddy and 21 from Isaiah Stevens. With 43 of their 58 points stemming from Roddy and Stevens, a team that typically shoots nearly 80% from the free throw line converted on just half of their free throws which was a losing formula for head coach Niko Medved’s Rams.
In the other semifinal matchup on Friday from the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, the Boise State Broncos defeated the Wyoming Cowboys, 68-61. This means that the Broncos and the Aztecs will be set for their third meeting of the season after Leon Rice’s team won each of the first two matchups.
Boise State and San Diego State will play in the championship game from the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nev. at 3 p.m. PT.