San Diego State has pushed it all season, falling behind early and relying on fire and grit to battle back.

It took a 13-0 run for them to beat San Jose State two weeks ago and an even bigger one to do it again Tuesday as the Aztecs overcame a 17-point deficit at the half to prevail on the road, 69-66.

“I love this team’s fight,” guard Nick Boyd, who led SDSU with 17 points, told San Diego Sports 760. “We have no quit in us.”

San Jose State did not make it easy for the Aztecs at Viejas Arena, when SDSU pulled it out with a late run, but this time the team was missing leading scorers Will McClendon and Josh Uduje.

Yet if San Diego State fans were looking for a romp, it wasn’t happening.

SDSU (16-6, 9-4 Mountain West) never led in the opening half, but came within five of the Spartans (12-14, 5-9 MW) with just over six minutes to play on a jumper by Magoon Gwath.

San Jose State, however, embarked on a 13-1 run, capped by a three-pointer by Jermaine Washington, to establish a 17-point lead at the break.

Miles Byrd, with a chance to cut into the lead, tossed up an airball, a symbol of the Aztecs’ early futility as they shot 22% in the half with 12 turnovers, half of them after Gwath’s shot. They went 1-for-13 on field goals to close the half, a drought only broken up by a free throw from Boyd.

The Aztecs, though, returned to the court not hot, but sizzling.

They put the first 17 points of the half on the board, starting with a layup by Jared Coleman-Jones. BJ Davis followed with a three, then Boyd landed five free throws in a row, three of them after a foul by Donavan Yap Jr.

Boyd added two steals, leading to a layup by Davis and, after a three by Gwath, he finished with a driving layup to tie it up at 37.

San Diego State broke through for the lead at the 12:01 mark, after a hookshot by Miles Heide and layup by Boyd that made it 50-47, but Yap immediately tied it up again from long distance.

They would build a five-point lead with 8:33 to play after a steal by Davis, but the Spartans wouldn’t go away and tied it up with a three from Latrell Davis.

San Jose State had their last lead with five minutes to play after a layup by Yap, but Heide answered for another tie, at 57. From that point on, the Aztecs held four-point leads, thanks to shots by Boyd and Coleman-Jones, but couldn’t seem to put any more distance between themselves and the Spartans.

But Byrd, who was off target to close the opening half, hit a key three to answer one from Davis and with 1:20 remaining, SDSU led 66-62.

As the clock ticked down, Coleman-Jones grabbed a rebound, but Washington stripped the ball from him – both the forward and head coach Brian Dutcher thought he was fouled – and put in a layup to cut the lead to two.

Wayne McKinney III, though, nailed two free throws, and Boyd, one, to seal the win, though the Spartans’ Davis sent a full-court heave that was on target, but clanked harmlessly off the backboard and then the rim as time expired.

BJ Davis had 13 points for SDSU while Byrd and Coleman-Jones had nine apiece. Latrell Davis led San Jose State with 21 points and Yap added 19.

Dutcher also pointed to San Diego State’s turnaround at the line after a dismal performance in Saturday’s loss against Colorado State. The Aztecs hit 17 of 22 free throws.

“They don’t play perfect, but they don’t give in,” Dutcher told San Diego Sports of his team.

SDSU returns home at 7 p.m. Saturday to face Boise State (17-7, 9-4 MW) in a showdown between two games with identical conference records.