San Diego State led by eight points with just under five minutes to play, but did not score again, as Boise State came back Tuesday for a 66-60 win.
While no buckets fell for the No. 18 Aztecs late – adding to their woes, they turned the ball over nine times in the second half – Bronco Max Rice (the son of Boise State’s head coach) put on a one-man show, with 12 points down the stretch, including three three-pointers.
“They made more timely plays than we did,” head coach Brian Dutcher told San Diego Sports 760 simply.
SDSU (23-6, 14-3 Mountain West) failed to clinch sole possession of the conference title due to the loss. The Aztecs control their own fate – if they win their final regular-season game, against last-place Wyoming Saturday, they alone wear the crown – but if they lose and Boise State (23-7, 13-4 MW) prevails against Utah State, the teams will finish tied atop the MW.
The Broncos kept pace early, despite nine turnovers during the first half, which led to 10 Aztec points. Matt Bradley and Darrion Trammell led SDSU with seven points each. Jaedon LeDee added a key three-point play to break a 25-25 tie, after he made a layup and the free throw after being fouled.
SDSU took a 30-27 lead into the half.
Boise State bit back quickly after the break to tie it up at 30, but San Diego State went on a 7-0 run, capped by Bradley’s three-pointer for a 43-35 lead, briefly the biggest of the game.
That’s because the Broncos scored the next seven to pull within one. Keshad Johnson answered with a jumper to maintain the SDSU lead, but Boise State tied it up again at 47 with a three by Naje Smith.
Bradley put the ball in the hands of Micah Parrish, who downed another Aztec three to take back the lead. Lamont Butler, despite foul trouble, bolstered it with his own three shortly thereafter, while Nathan Mensah protected it with a block on Smith.
Bradley made two free throws to give SDSU a nine-point lead with 6:16 to play, but things began to turn after Aguek Arop, despite taking an elbow to the groin, was called for a fragrant foul as he reached up to prevent a layup by Smith, who made both free throws.
After a jumper by Parrish, who was fouled and made the free throws, the Aztecs went flat, and Rice caught fire. It started with his own missed free throw and a rebound by Smith, who kicked it out to Rice, who hit a three to make it 60-56.
After a turnover by Parrish, Rice and Smith both missed their shots, but the Broncos beat SDSU to the ball, and the second chances paid off when Rice hit another three, bouncing it off the glass to pull his team within one.
The guard’s next three, at the 2:44 mark, put them up by two, and the Aztecs, failing to out-rebound the Broncos or keep control of the ball, attempted just two more shots, misses by Trammell and Parrish.
Rice led all scorers with 26, while Bradley had 16.
The Aztecs return to Viejas Arena to close the regular season at 7 p.m. Saturday, welcoming Wyoming (9-20, 4-13 MW ).
