The San Diego State women’s basketball team will be the No. 5 seed at the Mountain West Tournament, facing No. 4-seeded New Mexico.
The Aztecs (22-9, 12-6 MW) take on the Lobos (20-11, 12-6) in the quarterfinals at 2:30 p.m. Monday in Las Vegas. The tournament opens Sunday – SDSU has a bye – with the title game set for Wednesday.
San Diego State, which lost two of their last three games, ended the regular season in a three-way tie for third, achieving their highest finish since 2013.
The tie, with Colorado State and New Mexico, though, left them as the No. 5 seed due to tiebreakers. UNLV, undefeated in conference play, and Wyoming are the top seeds.
San Diego State is coming off a 60-51 comeback win over Air Force Tuesday at home. The team is lead by Asia Avinger, who averages 12 points a game, and Sophia Ramos, with 11.8.
New Mexico, meanwhile, has two scorers in the league’s Top 5, Shaiquel McGruder, averaging 13.4, and LaTascya Duff, with 13.3.
Something will have to give Monday, as New Mexico, the MW’s second-ranked offensive team, meets SDSU, with the conference’s top defense, having held opponents to 57 points a game.
The Aztecs split their two games with the Lobos, coming back from a 13-point second half deficit to win 65-61 at home on Jan. 19, then falling in Albuquerque 83-78 on Feb. 4.
SDSU has faced New Mexico 11 times in the MW Tournament, including last year, when the team fell to the Lobos in the quarterfinals 63-60.