(1) Aztecs vs. (8) Colorado State
Records: SDSU 24-6; CSU 15-17
Series history: SDSU leads 50-43 and has won 10 of the last 12, including both meetings this season — 82-76 in overtime in Fort Collins on Jan. 18 and 77-58 at Viejas Arena on Feb. 21. The Aztecs won 63-58 in the semis here last year.
Rams update: They made it 10 straight wins against Fresno State in the 8-9 game Wednesday, but it wasn’t easy. A 17-2 run erased a 12-point Rams lead and they trailed by three inside a minute to go. Then all-conference guard Isaiah Stevens took over, with a three-point play to tie it and a floater in the lane with 2.7 seconds left to win it. Stevens had 19 points, but the leading scorer was John Tonje with 20. The Rams were outrebounded and outscored 32-14 in the paint but compensated by holding Fresno State to 40.7 percent shooting and attempting 14 more free throws. They also locked down Fresno State guard Jemarl Baker, who shot 2 of 15 four days after he made 10 3s and had a career-high 43 points. Now they get SDSU. “The one thing about San Diego State, I mean, there’s not going to be a lot of gimmicks,” coach Niko Medved said. “We pretty much know what it is going in. We’ve just got to be able to meet it head-on.” Added Tonje: “There’s no question how physical this game is going to be, so we just have to be ready for that.” For Fresno State, it might have been the final game for head coach Justin Hutson. The former SDSU assistant is widely expected to be fired with a year left on his contract following an 11-20 season.
Aztecs update: Their practice Wednesday on campus ended before the Colorado State-Fresno State game did in Las Vegas with an afternoon flight to catch, meaning they won’t have a full practice knowing whom they’re playing. But the coaching staff guessed correctly, devoting more time this week to prepping for the Rams and their intricate offensive scheme. The key might less be stopping Stevens and Tonje than everybody else. In the first meeting that went to overtime, Jalen Lake (17), Isaiah Rivera (14) and Patrick Cartier (12) all scored in double figures. In the 19-point win at Viejas Arena, only Stevens and Tonje did; the other three combined for seven points. Two statistics point to an Aztecs win: They have won 15 straight Mountain West quarterfinals, and no program in Div. I has won more at a neutral or road venue over the past 15 seasons (42 at Thomas & Mack). Still, not all the quarterfinals have been a breeze, especially against teams that won a play-in game the day before and are feeling good about themselves. There was a 69-66 win against Wyoming two years ago; overtime against UNLV after overcoming a 21-point deficit; and a Jamaal Franklin buzzer-beater against Boise State in 2012. SDSU has been the No. 1 seed six times previously but won it only twice.
Next up: Friday in the semifinals vs. Nevada or San Jose State (6:30 p.m., CBSSN)