After a recent busy five-day stretch, San Diego State enters another packed part of the schedule, playing three games in seven days, starting with New Mexico at 7 p.m. Monday.
SDSU (11-5, 3-2 Mountain West), lost two of those three games – the last in lopsided fashion to Utah State on Wednesday. The Lobos, though, at 8-13 and 1-7 in the conference, could offer San Diego State a chance to recoup ahead of Friday’s rematch with Colorado State.
Colorado State (16-2, 6-2 MW) was nationally ranked when the Aztecs took the Rams apart, winning by 30 on Jan. 8. But this time Colorado State will host SDSU on their turf and will have had a week to prepare. They last played Friday in a loss to UNLV.
The Aztecs then return home following their trip to Fort Collins, to face Nevada (9-9, 3-4 MW) at 1 p.m. Feb. 6.
Monday at Viejas Arena will be the first time San Diego State and New Mexico have met in nearly two years, due to COVID-19.
The Lobos, despite their losing record, rank second among MW offensive leaders, scoring an average of 77 points a game. Guard Jamal Mashburn Jr. leads the way, averaging 18 a game, with another guard, Jaelen House, just behind at 16.
In their last game, against San Jose State, New Mexico logged their first MW win this season, a 86-70 victory.
Meanwhile, since Dec. 8, San Diego State is second nationally in fewest points allowed, at 55.3, as the Aztecs’ defensive prowess continues.
Guard Matt Bradley has been hot, hitting 78% of his shots over his last two games, in which he scored 27 and 19 points, against UNLV and Utah State respectively.
“Matt’s hard to guard when he gets going like that,” head coach Brian Dutcher said following the UNLV win.
Additionally, guard Chad Baker-Mazara enjoyed his best game as an Aztec in the Utah State loss, with a season-high 15 points and two steals.
In that loss, the Aztecs failed to log an offensive rebound in a game for the first time in nearly four decades. The last time that happened? March 14, 1985.