SDSU and Fresno State meet once again at Viejas Arena as Aztecs aim for third straight win

Steve Fisher Court should be spotless after the San Diego State Aztecs swept the Boise State Broncos on Saturday night.

Just one season ago, the Broncos beat the Aztecs twice, with a notable win at Viejas Arena in the final regular season home game. Between the two programs, there have been a total of eight sweeps since their first-ever matchup in 2012.

Happy Victory Sunday to all who observe! #GoAztecs pic.twitter.com/BlhYCnThke

— San Diego State Men’s Basketball (@Aztec_MBB) February 16, 2025

The Aztecs played a great all-around game led by Nick Boyd, who had a career-high 25 points on 10-14 shooting. The senior elevated his scoring when the team needed it, propelling the Aztecs to a big night.

Boyd spoke postgame about his aggression toward the basket.

“I had kind of been struggling in the conference just trying to get my footing in terms of when to pass and when to shoot,” he said. “During that second half at San Jose State, I decided to be aggressive. I did the same thing tonight and took what the game gave me. If I go to score, they will collapse, or there will be an opening. If they collapse, I can make the pass.”

The Aztecs’ defense played their best game of the season. Division III Occidental (49) scored more points at Viejas Arena than Boise State did, as the Aztecs won 64-47. The Red & Black blocked 11 shots, with Magoon Gwath leading the way with six. Miles Byrd contributed with three and two steals and the rest of the team had four steals. SDSU had 11 fast break points to the Broncos zero.

“When I came here, I wondered why the defense is so good, but then I went to my first couple of workouts, and I realized,” Wayne McKinney III said postgame about the Aztecs’ defense. “We are learning that we have to go out there, keep blocking shots, and cleaning up our mistakes. That’s what makes us so different.”

The Aztecs hope to continue to build off their defensive performance as they host Fresno State on CBS Sports Network on Tuesday night. The Bulldogs are a familiar foe as the two programs are meeting for the 130th time. SDSU owns an 11-game win streak, propelling the overall record to 73-56. At home, the Red & Black are 42-20.

The postseason is approaching. Every game matters, and the Aztecs must keep their foot on the gas pedal to keep their postseason hopes alive. An automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament is still possible.

First Matchup

The Aztecs played very well against the Bulldogs on the road in the first meeting back in early December, winning 84-62. Magoon Gwath showed the world what he was made of that night as the red-shirt freshman scored a career-high 25 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and blocked four shots. Over the course of the last six games, Gwath has really elevated his scoring with four double-digit scoring outings and, on the defensive end, has a combined 18 blocks.

On the season, the 7-footer is shooting 50.3% and averages 8.6 points and 5.4 rebounds, and is tied for 7th in the country at 2.7 blocks per game. Future John Wooden Award nominee Johni Broome for No. 1 Auburn, also averages 2.7 blocks per game. Another 4+ block night could see Gwath move back into the Top 5 in the country. Gwath was recently awarded his third consecutive Mountain West Freshman of the Week award.

McKinney III and BJ Davis also played well against Fresno State in the first meeting. They combined for 25 points on 10-17 shooting. MyKell Robinson scored 20 for the Bulldogs, and the Aztecs held Amar Augillard to five points on 1-10 shooting. Augillard still leads the team in scoring per game despite not playing since December 14.

Update on the Bulldogs

Fresno State continues to struggle in the Mountain West. They have won just one conference game with a 1-14 record and are 5-21 overall. Only Air Force is worse as they are winless in conference play and 3-22 overall. The Bulldogs are losers of eight straight games since they beat Air Force on January 17. After the meeting against the Aztecs, Fresno State will travel to Air Force, where the Falcons have a chance at their first and potentially only conference win.

Fresno State lost a thriller against San Jose State a few weeks back, losing in double overtime by three points at home. This past Saturday, they almost took down UNLV at home as they lost by just one point, 52-51. The Bulldogs stormed back after scoring only 18 first-half points but it wasn’t enough as UNLV snuck by with a win.

Elijah Price led the team in scoring with 15 points, and he now averages 10.2 points per game. He is one of six players who average north of 10 per game and is one of two players to play every game this season. Jalen Weaver has stepped up by averaging 12.3 points and 1.3 steals per game. He is followed by Zaon Collins, who scored 10 points against SDSU in the first meeting. He averages 12.3 as well. Alex Crawford is at 11.8, and Robinson is at 10.3. It will take a collective scoring effort from the Bulldogs in order to have a chance on the road in San Diego.

Key to Victory

Succeed against the zone. The Bulldogs could play zone the entire 40 minutes. Head coach Brian Dutcher said postgame after the Boise State win that he expects them to play 40 minutes of zone. Vance Walberg could throw a combination of a 2-3, 3-2, 1-3-1, or even a 1-2-2 zone at the Aztecs. Three-point shooting will play a role and the Aztecs must hit on their opportunities.

Chris Spiering

Chris is a graduate of the University of San Diego. He is the former Sports Editor for the USDVista newspaper. Chris has covered the San Diego Loyal, and now covers San Diego State Men’s Basketball. He also contributes regularly about the Padres. Chris is an athlete and is a huge fan of San Diego sports.