It wasn’t pretty but it was a pretty good game.
The San Diego State Aztecs somehow pulled another rabbit out of a hat and *poof* – just like magic – their opponent’s chances at an upset disappeared.
The Aztecs extended their winning streak to 10 games (all against conference opponents) with a closely contested 69-67 home victory over Colorado State.
The Rams fell to 4-5 in the Mountain West while the Aztecs sit firmly entrenched in first place with a sparkling 10-0 record (17-6 overall).
Freshman guard Jeremy Hemsley converted a crucial bucket late when SDSU trailed 65-64. He worked his way into the paint and hit an off-balance leaner with 1:07 to play to give the Aztecs a 66-65 lead.
Despite multiple missed free throws, SDSU benefited from CSU’s sloppy execution and held firm on defense to hang on for the narrow victory.
Sophomore Trey Kell led SDSU with 19 points. SDSU senior Winston Shepard chipped in with 14 points and 9 rebounds and Malik Pope added 10 points off the bench.
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San Diego State also outrebounded CSU by 10. That statistic was a big point of emphasis for the coaching staff since the Rams won the battle of the boards in the team's first meeting this season back in Fort Collins, Colorado.
New Mexico visits Viejas Arena on Saturday at 1 pm.
