SDSU’s offense comes alive as the Aztecs split the season series with Utah State with an impressive win, quieting the noise

Steve Fisher Court – Viejas Arena 

San Diego State and Utah State met on The Mesa for the biggest game of the 2025-26 Mountain West campaign. The Aztecs’ offense showed up in a big way to give SDSU a massive advantage. The crowd was electric for all 40 minutes, and the Aggies could not keep up. SDSU and USU are now both 13-4 in the MWC.

The Aztecs saw many things go their way in this one. The biggest boosts of all were Elzie Harrington and Magoon Gwath, who both returned to the starting lineup for the first time since their individual injuries. SDSU is much better with them healthy and on the floor.

“Probably our most complete game of the season,” head coach Brian Dutcher said postgame. “We had everybody healthy.”

“I told Magoon Tuesday, if you get through practice and you practice hard, I’ll start you. Cause we are not going to be as good as we can be without you on the floor. To get him back on the floor was a major lift to the team.”

SDSU started the game committing two turnovers in less than 30 seconds. Utah State did not capitalize on it, as SDSU would eventually score the first basket of the game after two minutes had gone by. Miles Heide had a putback layup after SDSU started 0-3 from beyond the arc.

The crowd was into it early.

The Aggies jumped out to a 9-4 lead after making their third triple of the game. As every team does against the Aztecs, Utah State let it fly. They hit 3 of 6 to begin. The Aztecs needed to improve their three-point defense right away. It certainly did, as the Aggies went 4-19 the rest of the way.

Tae Simmons checked into the game for the first time and scored a quick four points in the paint, including a huge jam.

WATCH OUT @TaeSimmons15

📺 FS1 pic.twitter.com/XdR9pLTKIC

— San Diego State Men’s Basketball (@Aztec_MBB) February 26, 2026

Halfway through the first half, Pharaoh Compton gave SDSU a 17-15 lead after another monster dunk in the paint. The Aztecs’ big men did a great job of sneaking past the Aggies’ defense. Compton then scored on the next possession for his 6th point of the game to lead the team.

Reese Dixon-Waters nailed SDSU’s first deep ball of the game to take a 22-17 lead. SDSU was 1-5 to begin, while the Aggies were 3-10. Utah State switched to a version of a 1-3-1 or 3-2 zone to try to throw off the Aztecs. It did not work right away as RDW would nail another triple to take a 25-19 lead.

The pace of the game continued as SDSU stayed in demand. Utah State remained in a zone for half-court defense. Off the bench, BJ Davis scored six-straight points, including a three-pointer, while Dixon-Waters kept his big first half alive. SDSU led 35-26 with under 3.5 minutes to play.

RDW kept his flamethrower on him as he drained yet another deep ball. He had 15 points and was on pace for north of 30 for the contest. He and Compton dominated the first half, as Compton added another nine on 4-5 shooting.

“I felt like I was aggressive from the start,” Dixon-Waters said postgame about his shooting performance. “I know I missed a lot of shots I normally make, you know, there are things I can fix. But I am pretty pleased with how I played, on the defensive end especially. But I definitely wanted to set the tone offensively and just be aggressive.”

With under two minutes to go in the half, Utah State’s Karson Templin picked up his third foul, and Aztecs fans (The Show) started a “F*** you Templin” chant while Compton was at the line. The chant would occur randomly throughout the game. The fans were bringing it on Wednesday night.

Gwath nailed a three-pointer at the buzzer, thanks to a little friendly help from the backboard. SDSU took a 46-33 lead into the locker room. That was Gwath’s 7th point of the night. Four Aztecs had 7+ points in the first half.

Great to have Magoon back. pic.twitter.com/WpTje359B0

— Jon Schaeffer (@jonschaeffer) February 26, 2026

San Diego State played one of its better first halves of the season. They held Utah State to 38% shooting while SDSU was at 50% and 5-11 from deep after missing their first four. SDSU needed every point they got as they have struggled to play well in the beginning of second halves this season. The next 20 minutes were the biggest of the entire season for Dutcher’s squad.

The Aztecs began the second half playing better than normal. The lead extended to 18 as Miles Byrd scored his first six points of the game.

SDSU pushed the lead up to 20 with around 14 minutes left in the game. Tae Simmons continued to bring the energy when on the floor. He was pumping up the crowd and his teammates throughout the contest. Simmons played very well, but struggled from the charity stripe. He missed four in a row before finally making the fifth attempt. The Aztecs needed the freshman to convert from the line to take advantage of his elite positioning.

The Aztecs led 61-45 with 11:47 remaining.

Gwath would limp off the court with under 10 minutes to go in the game. It appeared he started cramping up, but returned quickly. He had seven points, one block, and eight rebounds in 17 minutes to this point.

After a rough stretch of play from Harrington, he finally scored since returning from his injury. Harrington had four points, two assists, and two steals to this point. SDSU needed its starting point guard to be comfortable. He would end the game with four turnovers, which must improve moving forward.

SDSU ran away with the game as the energy in Viejas Arena was too much for the Aggies. They did not stand a chance against the Aztecs’ ability to keep up with the crowd noise.

OH MY 😳 @TaeSimmons15 #GoAztecs pic.twitter.com/gD5se4NVt3

— San Diego State Men’s Basketball (@Aztec_MBB) February 26, 2026

“It was great, we definitely needed it,” Dixon-Waters said postgame about the energy the crowd and Simmons brought. “Tae is someone that is … a funny guy. We troll each other a lot. He brings energy, he plays hard, and that is what we needed tonight, and he did a really good job.”

It was fun to witness the energy Simmons brings. He clearly loves playing on The Mesa, and he was the first person to hop in line to high-five the fans after the contest. The freshman gained a ton of fans on Wednesday night.

Utah State and San Diego State are now tied atop the MWC standings. Up next for the Scarlet & Black will be this Saturday at The Pit for another monster game against New Mexico.

“We know how hard it is going to be to go to The Pit,” Dutcher said. “They are a game out, and they are going to be playing to get even with us. So, we have to enjoy this win tonight, but tomorrow, we have two days to get ready for New Mexico.”

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.