March Madness in Doubt for San Diego State After Quarterfinal Loss in MW Tourney

The Aztecs lost in the opening round of the Mountain West tournament, out-rebounded under the basket and buried by a flurry of threes.

Tomas Kauer - News Moderator Tomas Kauer - News Moderator
Mar 13, 2025 - 23:05
March Madness in Doubt for San Diego State After Quarterfinal Loss in MW Tourney
Players on a basketball court gather on the sideline while coaches talk to them.

There may be no more dancing for San Diego State this year.

The Aztecs lost in the opening round of the Mountain West tournament in Las Vegas
Thursday, having been out-rebounded under the basket and buried by a flurry of threes.

Boise State (23-9, 14-6 MW) won what had been mostly a close game, pulling out a 62-52 victory on the eve of Selection Sunday when officials reveal the teams heading to the NCAA Tournament, also known as the Big Dance.

It was a critical game for both teams, as experts listed them as two of the last four
teams expected to get into the NCAA Tournament.

“It’s disappointing that we’re leaving Vegas this early,” Assistant Coach David
Velasquez said in a post-game interview with San Diego Sports 760. “We’re not used to going home in the first game of the conference tournament.”

Boise State moves on to face the tournament’s top seed, New Mexico, at 6:30 p.m. Friday.

Players on a basketball court gather on the sideline while coaches talk to them.
The Aztecs may have played their final game of the season after an early exit from the Mountain West Tournament. (Photo by Derrick Tuskan/San Diego State)

The Aztecs (21-9, 14-6 MW) started the game with two buckets, including a three-pointer, to take a quick 5-0 lead. Boise State responded with four three-pointers, on four attempts, to take a 12-11 lead.

“They’re letting it go,” Head Coach Brian Dutcher told CBS Sports during a media timeout. “They make six a game so they’re hot right now and they’re not afraid to take it.”

The Aztecs bounced back for a 15-12 lead on a monster dunk by forward Pharaoh Compton. The game would remain tight for a while as the teams traded baskets.

It was a 19-19 tie when the Aztecs took control with a Jared Coleman-Jones corner three, a Wayne McKinney III layup and a free throw and a three by Miles Byrd. The Aztecs suddenly had a 9-point lead at 28-19.

It got whittled down to six with about three minutes to go in the half, but a small run highlighted by guard BJ Davis hitting a three gave the Aztecs their first double-digit lead at 33-22.

Boise State then hit two threes to cut the lead to five, leaving the Aztecs up 33-28 at the half.

San Diego State started poorly in the second half, throwing a pass away, giving up rebounds and letting Boise State take a 35-33 lead.

Senior guard Nick Boyd came to the rescue. He hit back-to-back three-pointers to reclaim the Aztec lead at 39-35. But the Aztecs lost it on a questionable cal. What appeared to be a charge by Boise State’s Andrew Meadow was instead ruled a foul on the Aztecs and the Broncos took advantage, jumping ahead 41-39 after that call.

The Aztecs fought back with a mid-range jumper from Coleman-Jones and a three
from Boyd to take a 44-41 lead.

The game remained physical, and with about eight minutes left, the teams were tied for the fifth time, at 47-47. With six minutes left, they were tied up again, 49-49.

But Boise State hit consecutive three pointers to give the Broncos a 55-51 lead with less
than four minutes to go. It was part of their barrage of 40 three-point attempts –
they nailed 11.

The Broncos grabbed their biggest lead of the game at 58-51 with 3:15 to go. The Aztecs, who had won 17 consecutive quarterfinal-round games in the Mountain West tournament, tried to come back, but after failing to score a field goal in the game’s final nine minutes, ran out of time.

They could’ve used Magoon Gwath, named Mountain West Freshman Player of the Year this week. He was in uniform and sitting on the bench as his recovery from a knee injury continues.

But the big man never entered the game and Boise State out-rebounded the Aztecs 40-28.

“We got out-rebounded to a level (that) you can’t win in March,” Velasquez said.

The Aztecs now have to wait and watch. Other “bubble” teams ahead of them in the rankings may falter in conference tournament play this weekend, leaving the door open for SDSU to make the NCAA Tournament.

“Prayers and hopes and anything under the sun to hopefully get us into that tournament,” Velasquez said.

NOTES: The Aztecs came in as the fourth seed against fifth-seeded Boise State … The Aztecs and Broncos were meeting for the 34th time with San Diego State holding a 20-13 all-time lead in the series … SDSU’s long winning streak in first games of the conference tournament, dating back to 2007, was the third-longest such active streak.

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