It’s starting to become redundant, but San Diego State looks to extend a number of record-setting win streaks when the team hosts Nevada at Viejas Arena on Saturday night.
On the line for the 20-1 Aztecs: A 20th consecutive victory, second-longest in school history. Also on the line is a school-record nine-game conference win streak to start the season. Oh, and the No. 5 ranking, which is the second-highest the program has ever reached.
Standing in the way is a tough Nevada team, which is 12-11 overall but sits in third place in the Mountain West with a 7-3 conference record. Senior guard Deonte Burton is leading the conference with 21.1 points per game.
“They've got great players,” said senior guard Winston Thames. “They're playing better defense than they did last year. We knew they would have a good team this year.”
The Aztecs are coming off a thrilling win Wednesday night over Boise State. They rallied from a 14-point deficit for a 67-65 victory, their 10 straight road win (tied for longest streak in the nation). Dwayne Polee hit the game-winning shot with 4 seconds left to keep the win streaks alive.
"That's a moment as a kid you dream about,” Polee said. “All your life you wait for that final buzzer-beating shot to win the game or send the game into overtime. It's just the best feeling ever. It felt like I was in a dream."
Xavier Thames led the team with 23 points, and fed Polee with the game-winning assist.
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"I had a pretty decent look, but I saw DP out of the corner of my eye," he said of passing up the potential winning shot.
Thames leads the team and is third in the conference with 18.1 points per game.
SDSU may be without forward Winston Shepard, who injured his wrist in the win.
“He's still pretty sore, so he will be a game-time decision depending on if he can move the wrist and if he's capable of using that left hand,” head coach Steve Fisher said. “But the good news is it should not be anything long term."
Fisher, who earned his 300th win with the school last Saturday, will be presented the game ball from the victory in a pregame ceremony.
