A week ago San Diego State got obliterated by Nevada. It was not the kind of performance that gives anyone much confidence that a team has any chance at all to win its conference tournament, especially when the Aztecs had to play the Wolfpack again.
So of course SDSU is one win away from another chance to dance in March.
The Aztecs beat 14th-ranked Nevada 65-56 in the semi-finals of the MWC Tourney in Las Vegas and are now just one win away from an automatic spot in the NCAA Tournament.
Senior guard Devin Watson was tremendous, finishing with a game-high 20 points and going 4-of-7 from 3-point land. The Aztecs led 34-29 at the break and looked like they were taking control to start the 2nd half when Watson hit back-to-back 3-pointers in the first minute. Fellow guard Jeremy Hemsley chased that with a lay-up to give SDSU a 42-29 lead.
But they let it get away, and then some.
The Wolfpack used a 13-2 run to go on top 49-46. That’s when Watson came up big again, knocking down another 3-pointer to tie it and give the Aztecs some life. They sealed it from the free throw line, making 10 of 12 foul shots down the stretch.
The Aztecs will play for the MWC title on Saturday afternoon against either Fresno State or Utah State. The winner of that game will join Nevada, who only has four losses all season (two to the Aztecs), in the 68-team NCAA Tournament field.
