With two games left in a frustratingly uneven regular season, the San Diego State Aztecs can still win the Mountain West championship in their final season before jumping to the Pac-12.
But they have to win out, starting Tuesday night at Boise State, and get some help after digging a hole with three losses in their last four games. The Aztecs are 1.5-point underdogs against the Broncos, with the game at ExtraMile Arena set to tip off at 6 p.m. PT and airing on CBS Sports Network.
Otherwise, the Aztecs (19-9, 13-5 MW) will have fallen short of the big expectations that greeted them back in late October, when they were voted the unanimous preseason favorite to win the regular-season title, based on a loaded roster under coach Brian Dutcher.
The Aztecs are used to lofty expectations. It’s just that they’ve been wildly inconsistent, which could cause them to miss the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019.
San Diego State is one of three teams that still have the chance to win the regular season title and it has earned a bye into the quarterfinal round of the tournament for the ninth straight year and 26th time in 27 seasons.
The other teams with a shot are Utah State, which sits atop the standings at 14-4, and New Mexico, which is tied with the Aztecs at 13-5.
New Mexico visits Utah State in a season finale on Saturday.
The Aztecs controlled their own destiny going into Saturday’s game at New Mexico. But they blew an 11-point, first-half lead and lost 81-76. That knocked them out of a first-place tie with Utah State — and the Aztecs would have held the tiebreaker — and into a second-place tie with the Lobos.
Now it’s on to Boise, where the Aztecs have struggled to win in the short time the teams have been conference rivals. It will be the final road game before the Aztecs host UNLV on Saturday night for the regular-season finale.
Then it’s on to Las Vegas next week for their final MW tournament, where the Aztecs will need to win three games in as many days to reach March Madness for the sixth straight season.
Key facts
The Aztecs and Broncos are meeting for the 36th time overall, with the Aztecs
leading the series 21-14. However, they are just 5-8 in ExtraMile Arena.
SDSU can sweep the season series after surviving a 110-107, three-overtime thriller at Viejas Arena on Jan. 3.
Below is a look at how to watch San Diego State at Boise State:
How to watch San Diego State at Boise State
Date: Tuesday, March 3
Game time: 6 p.m. PT
Where: ExtraMile Arena | Boise, Idaho
How to watch: CBS Sports Network
How to listen: San Diego Sports 760 (local)
