LAS VEGAS (AP) — Terrell Gomez scored 20 points and No. 19 San Diego State beat Wyoming 69-66 on Thursday to advance to the Mountain West Conference Tournament semifinals.
The Cowboys had a chance to tie it at the buzzer, but Marcus Williams’ long 3-pointer missed badly.
Jordan Schakel and Trey Pulliam each scored 15 points for the Aztecs (21-4), who will play Nevada on Friday.
“To play in less than a 24-hour turnaround and have a game plan set against us that gave us issues — they slowed the pace of the game down, they wouldn’t let us fast break, they ran shot clock, and then attacked us off a high-ball screen or isolation play — they did a great job,” San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher said. “I liked the toughness mentally and physically of my team, that we withstood a game like that, that we made timely plays down the stretch, and found a way to advance.”
Xavier DuSell led Wyoming (14-11) with 21 points. Williams and Hunter Maldonado each scored 12, while Graham Ike added 10 points and nine rebounds.
“On such a quick turnaround, for our guys to execute the game plan, to trust in the coaching staff, it just says a lot,” Wyoming coach Jeff Linder said. “That game was a great barometer of where we’re at as a program. There’s no moral victories. The close isn’t good enough. With such a young group, I think people saw that we’re getting better. Right now we’re playing our best basketball at the right time. Unfortunately, we were one possession short.”
San Diego State, which came in boasting a defense that allowed 60.1 points per game while limiting teams to 39% shooting, allowed at least 66 points for just the seventh time this season.
The Aztecs, who have won 12 straight and are the top seed in the Mountain West tournament for the sixth time in school history, found themselves in a tussle with the scrappy Cowboys, much different than the teams’ first two meetings. San Diego State won those January games by an average of 28.5 points while holding the Cowboys to 35.8% shooting.
Thursday was a different story.
Trailing 49-46 midway through the second half, the eighth-seeded Cowboys used five consecutive 3-pointers to stay within reach of San Diego State, which hit six straight free throws down the stretch.
