The San Diego State Aztecs showcased a strong defensive performance against Colorado State in the Mountain West Tournament quarterfinals, securing a 71-62 victory on Thursday night. Despite going the last 6 minutes and 49 seconds without a field goal and missing several free throws late in the game, the Aztecs advanced to the semifinals where they will face New Mexico, who defeated San Jose State.
“Getting a bye helped, and not only for legs, but we spent four days getting ready for Colorado State,” said coach Brian Dutcher. “I think everyone could see we were pretty locked in defensively.”
With a record of 21-10, the Aztecs will meet New Mexico for the third time this season at 9 PM PT on Friday, marking their last matchup as Mountain West rivals. The game will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network, with the winner set to advance to the championship game on Saturday for a chance at the league”s automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.
Dutcher praised his team”s ability to attack the paint after Colorado State effectively limited their three-point opportunities. “They did a good job taking away the three, so we weren”t afraid to curl into the paint, drive into the paint, set ball screens, roll hard to the rim,” he explained. “We played around the rim. A lot of the plays I ran had two bigs on the blocks, which made it easier to rebound.”
Reflecting on the team”s recent struggles, Dutcher noted, “Yeah, we lost four out of five in the stretch, and then we beat UNLV to end the year. We had enough time to kind of get ourselves together, and we needed this win desperately. I mean, we”re still a bubble team, so we can keep winning and play ourselves off that bubble.”
Despite the free-throw shooting woes, which included misses from key players, Dutcher emphasized the importance of their defense. “You miss free throws, and you give in. All of a sudden you look up, and it could have been a two-point game, but we continued to get stops,” he said. “We didn”t let the frustration consume us.”
Last year”s tournament exit was a reminder of the importance of rebounding, as Dutcher stated, “We left this tournament last year to Boise because we got destroyed on the glass. When we rebound the ball, we”re hard to beat, so we rebounded at a high level tonight both offensively and defensively.”
Defensively, the Aztecs focused on pressuring Colorado State”s offense, with players instructed to disrupt their flow and make them uncomfortable. “Our defense is everything for us, so just not letting them score, that”s our identity,” Dutcher noted.
As the Aztecs prepare for their next challenge, the emphasis remains on maintaining their defensive intensity while improving their shooting as they aim for a championship title.
