San Diego State may have hit the court shorthanded Tuesday, but even without Magoon Gwath they took command to beat New Mexico 73-65.

In their first game without Gwath, who suffered a knee injury in Saturday’s loss to Utah State, the Aztecs (19-7, 12-5 Mountain West) contained the Lobos, the conference leaders entering the day.

Donovan Dent stood out for the Lobos (22-6, 14-3), with 26 points, but SDSU shut down the rest of a high-flying team that averages a MW-leading 83 points a game.

“That gave us a chance,” head coach Brian Dutcher told San Diego Sports 760.

It was a tight opening half that opened up at the midway point, as SDSU, down by three, turned it around after a hook shot by Miles Heide and a layup by Pharaoh Compton. Jared Coleman-Jones then landed a jumper and a three-pointer to put San Diego State ahead 22-16.

Yet, up nine with just under six minutes left in the first half, the Aztecs watched their lead dwindle as they went 1-of-7 shooting the rest of the way. But that one was timely – Nick Boyd, guarded tough, sent a pass out to a wide-open Miles Byrd, who landed the shot from long distance to make it 32-24 with a 1:10 to go before the break.

SDSU forward Jared Coleman-Jones flexes his muscles after scoring to make it 66-57 Aztecs. (Photo by Chris Stone/Times of San Diego)

But a foul on Byrd gave New Mexico’s Filip Borovicanin a chance for a three-point play, which he converted. Another whistle, this time on BJ Davis, sent Dent to the line, and he landed both free throws to cut the lead to just three with three seconds left in the half.

After an unwise foul by Tru Washington, Boyd made one of two free throws, putting SDSU up 33-29 going into halftime.

Despite flirting with foul trouble – Byrd, Coleman-Jones, Heide and Wayne McKinney III each had two fouls at the end of the half, and Davis quickly logged his second when play resumed – the Aztecs rushed out to a double-digit lead when they returned to the court at Viejas Arena.

Davis started the scoring with a three, followed by a layup by Heide and a jumper by Coleman-Jones. After a steal by Davis and an assist by Boyd, Byrd’s dunk made it 42-32 SDSU, and he hit the free throw to put his team ahead by 11.

New Mexico narrowed the gap, and with SDSU up 45-37, Jovan Milicevic landed a three. The Aztecs kept pace on shots by McKinney and Heide and managed to get the lead back up to eight on a three by Taj Degourville.

Dent, though, answered immediately with one of his own and after a foul by Nelly Joseph sent Compton to the line – he made one of the shots – Joseph hit a jumper to make it just 53-49 Aztecs.

But that was the closest the Lobos would get. San Diego State build the lead back up after a three by Byrd, who added two free throws, followed by two from Boyd for a 61-49 advantage.

The Aztecs continued to have answers for New Mexico, which cut the lead in half, only to have Boyd hit a three at the five-minute mark. He added a layup with his back to the basket moments before Byrd sent a long pass to Heide whose dunk made it 71-62 with 1:31 to play.

The Lobos had one more three in them, from Borovicanin, but he missed another and Byrd grabbed the rebound with 17 seconds left, to give San Diego State the win.

Boyd led SDSU with 17 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Byrd added 13 points, Coleman-Jones, 12, and Heide, 10.

New Mexico, which beat SDSU by 14 in January, played the Aztecs noticeably tougher on their home court. Heide said the coaches told them they had to “bully the bully” in the re-match.

“This is the mentality we came into with this game, gotta be more physical regardless of what happens,” the forward told San Diego Sports.

As for Gwath, Dutcher said the swelling on his knee has gone down, and that he will be fitted for a brace, then begin rehabilitation. He would not offer a timeline for the freshman’s return.

“We will err on side of caution with his rehab,” he said.

The Aztecs take on Wyoming (12-17, 5-13 MW) at 5 p.m. PST Saturday in the first of two straight road games.