First place in the Mountain West Conference is on the line once again as Utah State hits the road tonight to wrap up its season series with San Diego State.
The Aggies (23-4, 13-3 MWC) have held the top spot in the league since Karson Templin came off the bench to put up 18 points and seven rebounds in a 71-66 home win over the Aztecs on Jan. 31.
If Utah State wins the rematch, it will distance itself from the pack in the race for the Mountain West regular-season championship with just three games left on the schedule. The Aggies last won the regular-season title in 2023-24.
A win by San Diego State (18-8, 12-4) would leave the Aztecs and Aggies tied for the top spot in the league and the No. 1 seed in the Mountain West Tournament. The Aztecs have been tough to beat at Viejas Arena, where they’re 12-2 this season, but they lost the last time they played in front of their home fans.
Both teams are coming off losses heading into tonight’s showdown.
San Diego State has lost back-to-back games for the first time this season after falling 73-63 at home against Grand Canyon on Feb. 17 and 83-74 at Colorado State on Saturday.
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The Aztecs had 7-foot sophomore Magoon Gwath (hip) and talented freshman Elzie Harrington (leg) back from injury against the Rams, but neither was a factor in the game. Gwath, who missed five games, played less than 5:00 – all in the first half – and finished with one point. Harrington didn’t score a point in 18 minutes of playing time.
Utah State saw its eight-game winning streak snapped with an 80-77 setback at Nevada on Saturday. The Aggies’ top two scorers had an off night. Mason Falslev and MJ Collins Jr. were a combined 7-for-21 from the floor. The Wolf Pack also pushed Utah State around under the basket and won the rebounding battle, 40-30.
Both teams need a win tonight to inch closer to the Mountain West title. They both need the win to boost their NCAA Tournament resumes, and neither can really afford a loss because the schedule isn’t getting any easier. Utah State hosts Grand Canyon on Saturday, while San Diego State travels to The Pit to take on New Mexico.
Utah State at San Diego State Odds
San Diego State is a 1.5-point college basketball betting odds favorite on BetMGM as of this writing, and the Over/Under is at 146.5 points.
San Diego State leads the all-time series 20-13, and the Aztecs are 10-2 against Utah State at Viejas Arena. The Aggies swept San Diego State last season, and they’ve won three straight in the series.
Utah State at San Diego State on TV
The Mountain West game featuring Utah State and San Diego State will be televised on FS1.
Tip-off is scheduled for 11 p.m. ET.
Utah State at San Diego State Prediction
I predict Utah State wins 74-70.
Utah State bullied San Diego State without Gwath on the court the last time they played. The way he looked against Colorado State, the Aggies may be able to push the Aztecs around with him on the floor this go around. Then again, Utah State just got its lunch money stolen by Nevada’s bigs.
Tonight’s showdown at Viejas Arena may be the biggest Mountain West game of the season, and it will be decided by the best two backcourts in the conference.
Neither team is lacking in explosive, experienced guards. Falslev and Collins have played in a combined 220 games, and they’re both going to be in contention for Mountain West Player of the Year. Collins is No. 3 in the league with 17.9 points per game, and Falslev is No. 7 with 16.1. Utah State is the only team in the conference with two top-10 scorers.
San Diego State has three veteran guards it can lean on. Miles Byrd is one of the best players in the conference, regardless of position. He just missed a double-double with 15 points and nine rebounds against Colorado State. He’s No. 2 on the team with 10.8 points a night, and he leads the Aztecs with 71 assists, 51 steals, and 31 blocked shots.
Reese Dixon-Waters, who missed last season with an injury, leads the team with 12.6 points a night, and he has scored at least 10 points in 15 of the past 16 games. BJ Davis, who has played in 71 games the past three seasons, is No. 3 on the team with 10.4 points a game and 59 assists.
This game could go either way given the talent, experience, and depth of both rosters, but Gwath’s health is still a concern, and it’s hard to imagine Falslev and Collins struggling from the floor for a second straight game. They’ll come up big and lead Utah State to a season-defining victory.
