Matt Bradley scored a season-best 26 points and host San Diego State knocked No. 20 Colorado State from the ranks of the unbeaten with a convincing 79-49 victory in Mountain West play on Saturday.
Chad Baker-Mazara had 14 points and Lamont Butler (wrist) returned from a five-game absence to register 11 points and four steals as the Aztecs (10-3, 2-0 MW) won their fifth consecutive game. Aguek Arop recorded 10 points and eight rebounds and Keshad Johnson also had 10 points as San Diego State won its 16th consecutive game against Mountain West foes.
Isaiah Stevens scored 19 points and David Roddy added 17 for the Rams (11-1, 1-1), who shot just 27.9 percent from the field and 15 percent (3 of 20) from 3-point range.
Colorado State’s 11-game winning streak was snapped three shy of the school mark set by the 2014-15 team.
The teams were originally slated to play this game on March 1 but it was moved up Wednesday when the Rams (Boise State) and Aztecs (Nevada) each lost opponents due to COVID-19 outbreaks.
Top-ranked Baylor and No. 7 Southern California were the other undefeated teams entering Saturday.
San Diego State shot 48.3 percent from the field and made 8 of 17 from behind the arc. The Aztecs held a 38-21 rebounding edge while winning their 16th consecutive home game.
It was a four-point game at the break but Bradley buried back-to-back 3-pointers to spark the Aztecs, who took a 43-34 advantage with 17:13 remaining. Butler followed with a fast-break layup and Bradley knocked down a jumper to push the lead to 13.
Johnson later scored consecutive baskets and Arop added another as San Diego State led 62-43 with 7:22 to play.
Back-to-back dunks by Baker-Mazara pushed the lead to 24 with 2:39 remaining and he added a 3-pointer to make it 76-49 with 1:43 left. The lead topped out at 30 as the Aztecs closed out the rout with 14 consecutive points.
Just over 12 months ago, Colorado State set school and Mountain West records by overcoming a 26-point deficit to beat the host Aztecs. But there wasn’t much chance of a comeback this time around as the Rams were 5 of 21 from the field and 0 of 11 from 3-point range in the second half.
Bradley scored 14 first-half points as San Diego State led 36-32 at the break. Stevens had 13 and Roddy added 12 for the Rams.
–Field Level Media