Fresno State ended San Diego State’s three-game winning streak with a 63-55 victory Thursday at Viejas Arena.
The loss dropped the Aztecs into 6th place in the Mountain West.
That is notable because the top five seeds in the league earn a first round bye in the upcoming conference tournament and if the postseason started today, SDSU would have to win four games in a row to earn the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
Jeremy Hemsley and Dakarai Allen each totaled 13 points to lead the Aztecs.
SDSU fell behind by 11 in the second half but the home team rallied behind its two leading scorers. Malik Pope chipped in with 11 points.
SDSU running back DJ Pumphrey signed autographs and visited with fans before and during the game.
Pumphrey also drew some attention by wearing a Los Angeles Dodgers hat. The NFL prospect later switched to an Aztecs lid and apologized on twitter.
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Ironically, around the time Pumphrey switched hats in the second half, the Aztecs went on a 10-0 run to pull within a point of Fresno State.
But unfortunately, the visitors hung on for the victory and moved into 4th place in the MW standings.
Another group of Bulldogs visit San Diego on Thursday.
Top-ranked Gonzaga visits the Jenny Craig Pavilion at 7 p.m. for a conference meeting with the San Diego Toreros.
It will be an immense challenge for USD considering the top-ranked team in the country is 28-0 and has beaten its last 20 opponents by double digits.
San Diego only managed 27 points in a loss earlier this month to Saint Mary’s.
