Mountain West men’s basketball update: Utah State bags critical home win over San Diego State

Boise State, Colorado State also make up ground on MWC-leading New Mexico

Utah State’s Ian Martinez shoots. / JASON BEAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With New Mexico idle, Saturday represented an opportunity for the Mountain West’s top challengers to make up some ground on the conference-leading Lobos. 

Boise State, Colorado State and Utah State were all up to the challenge on a busy day of men’s basketball.

Before another capacity crowd at electric Smith Spectrum, Utah State surged by San Diego State, 79-71, while the Broncos (70-69 over Nevada) and Rams (61-53 over UNLV) both picked up key road wins. 

With two weeks remaining in the regular season, New Mexico (22-5, 14-2) sits atop the MWC standings with a half-game lead on Utah State (24-4, 14-3). The Lobos, who are closing in on their first regular-season MWC title since 2012-13, own a sweep of the Aggies.

Colorado State (18-9, 12-4) sits alone in third, followed by Boise State (19-8, 11-5) and San Diego State (18-7, 11-5). 

Senior point guard Dexter Akanno, an Oregon State transfer, netted a career-high 26 points as Utah State completed a regular-season sweep of the Aztecs. 

“We knew with San Diego State that this was going to be a tough, physical game. Hats off to them,” Aggies head coach Jerrod Calhoun said in his postgame press conference. “I give our guys a ton of credit. The physicality and rebounding and ball security (was impressive).” 

San Diego State star freshman center Magoon Gwath exited Saturday’s game before the first media timeout with a hyperextended knee. Gwath’s status moving forward is uncertain. 

Gwath averages 8.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game. 

“Magoon Gwath, I got three calls in the last two days from NBA scouts,” Calhoun said. “So him not playing, obviously, impacted their team. I hope for his sake first and foremost, and for their team, that he gets healthy. He’s a wonderful player.”

Boise State got 24 points from Andrew Meadow and 17 more from reserve Javan Buchanan to take down Nevada. In the Broncos’ previous game against New Mexico, Tyson Degenhart (career-high 32 points) and Pearson Carmichael (career-high 21 points) were the stars. 

The Broncos won the rebounding battle 37-26 and were 12 of 17 at the foul line compared to Nevada’s 6 of 12. 

“We lost the game because of (rebounding) and foul shooting,” Wolf Pack coach Steve Alford said after the game. “Everything else, I couldn’t be more pleased with.

“We battled Degenhart. I thought we battled him hard, held him to 14 and two (rebounds). Carmichael, who was coming off 21, had two points. … We made other people have to score, and our guys did a good job. They did a good job in man, and they did a good job in zone.”

Senior guard Nique Clifford led the way with 14 points, 14 rebounds and five assists — his 12th double-double of the season — as Colorado State kept its MWC title hopes alive. 

In the MWC basement battle, Air Force (4-23, 1-15) got off the schneid with a 72-69 overtime victory over Fresno State (5-23, 1-16). No team has gone winless in MWC play since San Jose State in 2014-15.

The Spartans (13-16, 6-11) snapped a four-game skid with an 82-73 road victory over Wyoming (12-16, 5-12). 

In his latest NCAA Tournament projection, ESPN’s Joe Lunardi had New Mexico and Utah State as safely in the field of 68. Lunardi listed San Diego State among the last four teams in and Boise State in the first four out. 

New Mexico travels to San Diego State at 9 p.m. Mountain time Tuesday while Boise State hosts Utah State at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday. 

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