The highly anticipated matchup between San Diego State and Boise State culminated in a dominant 64-47 victory for the Aztecs on Saturday night at Viejas Arena. A pivotal moment in this Mountain West clash can be captured in one electrifying play: Magoon Gwath soared in from behind Tyson Degenhart, the preseason player of the year, executing a stunning block that pinned Degenhart’s layup against the backboard before securing the rebound to initiate a fast break.

“I was focused on defending Degenhart,” said guard Nick Boyd. “My goal was to trick him into thinking he had an easy shot, giving Magoon a chance to catch up. If you analyze it, I was just standing there, fully aware he’d try to score. I never anticipated he would actually pin it and regain possession. It was unbelievable.”

Gwath’s incredible defensive play mirrored what the Aztecs accomplished against the Broncos as a whole.

While Saturday’s win may not rank as their most spectacular performance of the season—it’s tough to top an overtime victory against No. 6 Houston or a decisive win over No. 25 Creighton—it certainly deserves recognition as one of their most comprehensive and timely showings. Simply put, this win was essential for the team.

“In recent games, we struggled with slow starts,” Boyd expressed, who posted a career-high 24 points on just 14 shots. “Our focus was on maintaining momentum and ensuring we began with the right mindset, energy, and toughness. When we’re dialed in, I don’t believe many teams can match our length, athleticism, and the passion we bring to the court. When we have that confidence from the outset, we’re an entirely different squad. We demonstrated that tonight.”

After a successful stretch that included a win at Boise State and a decisive victory over Air Force, the Aztecs faced challenges, including a double-digit loss to New Mexico and an unusual home setback against UNLV. The subsequent games saw them scraping by with narrow victories against lower-ranked teams.

A pivotal moment occurred during a halftime talk on Tuesday at San Jose State when the squad found themselves trailing 37-20. Instead of following the coaches back to the court, the players called an impromptu meeting, understanding that their season—and potentially their NCAA Tournament aspirations—were at stake.

“We had a productive discussion and returned with the right mentality,” sophomore guard BJ Davis recounted.

In an impressive turnaround, they erased the 17-point gap within just four minutes, ultimately outscoring the Spartans 49-29 in the second half.

Riding this wave of energy, they entered Viejas Arena ready to face a Boise State team with a strong recent record against them, having won six of eight prior matchups. The Aztecs (17-6, 10-4) managed to establish a 10-point lead by the half, even without contributions from their top scorer, Miles Byrd. Byrd opened the second half with a three-pointer, setting the tone for a dominant performance.

With 12 minutes remaining, the score stood at 46-23—Boise State having recorded just 23 points over the first 28 minutes of the game.

“I’ve analyzed all their games,” noted Boise State coach Leon Rice. “This was arguably their most solid defensive performance for a complete 40 minutes this season. They’ve shown flashes of brilliance, but this time they kept their intensity throughout.”

The Broncos (17-8, 9-5) struggled offensively, hitting a season-low 34.5% from the field and going 3 for 18 from beyond the arc, largely due to the Aztecs’ tenacious defense that resulted in 10 blocked shots. Degenhart managed to score 17 points, but required 16 attempts to do so without making a three-pointer. No other Boise State player reached double digits.

The 47 points were the fewest the Broncos have mustered in a conference loss since joining the Mountain West in the 2011-12 season.

Boyd outperformed his previous career high by one point, having struggled earlier in the season. He also ended a slump from long range, converting on two three-point attempts in the first half while recording no turnovers in a team-high 36 minutes. In the last three halves, Boyd’s scoring total has reached 38 points.

“Finding my rhythm in conference play has been challenging,” said the Florida Atlantic transfer. “In the second half against San Jose State, I took the initiative to be aggressive, and I brought that mindset into tonight’s game—taking advantage of what was available, whether that meant scoring or facilitating.”

Gwath ended the night with an unusual stat line: eight points, six rebounds, five blocks, and seven turnovers. Byrd, who was scoreless in the first half, rallied to finish with 10 points, while Wayne McKinney III added 10 points off the bench, surpassing 1,000 career points after spending his first three years at USD.

Though the Broncos made a brief push with a 12-0 run, prompting a timeout from coach Brian Dutcher, the Aztecs countered with a spectacular lob from Byrd to Gwath, who caught it amidst a defender while hitting a tough shot as the shot clock expired, followed by a jumper from McKinney.

With just over six minutes remaining, Rice’s comments displeased an official, resulting in a technical foul. Byrd converted one free throw, and Boyd scored in the paint to stretch the lead to a comfortable 16 points.

By securing a 17-point victory, which exceeded projections for a mere three-point win, the Aztecs improved their Kenpom rating from 50 to 43, ranking second in the conference behind New Mexico at 38.

“Our goal is simply to win games,” said coach Dutcher. “We have six regular-season contests ahead, and our focus is on securing victories to enhance our resume.”

Noteworthy Highlights

The Aztecs will next host Fresno State, currently in 10th place, on Tuesday night at 8 p.m. (CBS Sports Network), with a follow-up matchup against second-place Utah State on Saturday.

•Michael Cage, whose jersey No. 44 is retired in Viejas Arena, was present and received a warm welcome during introductions in the first half.

• SDSU’s record for blocks in a Mountain West game stands at 12, achieved twice against Wyoming.

• The Aztecs extended their streak to 24 consecutive wins after going on a scoring run of 10-0 or greater, with eleven of these runs occurring this season.

• While Boise State edged the rebounding contest 31-30 and obtained 13 offensive boards, the Aztecs thrived in transition, boasting an 11-0 advantage in fast-break points.

Originally Published: February 15, 2025 at 9:21 PM PST