San Diego State's Aztecs are one win away from a guaranteed NCAA Tournament bid after surviving a nail-biter against New Mexico Friday night in Las Vegas.
BJ Davis made a layup with two seconds remaining to lift the No. 2-seeded Aztecs to a 64-62 victory over third-seeded New Mexico in the Mountain West Conference Tournament semifinal. San Diego State (22-10) now advances to Saturday's championship game against top-seeded Utah State, with an automatic NCAA Tournament berth on the line.
Magoon Gwath led the Aztecs with 17 points, going 6-for-10 from the field, adding six rebounds and two blocks. Davis contributed 12 points, six rebounds, six assists, and three steals. New Mexico's Deyton Albury kept the Lobos in it with 20 points on 7-for-10 shooting, and the Lobos (23-10) tied the game at 62-all with 25 seconds left before Davis' winner.
San Diego State draws a massive following from East County, with thousands of current and former students from Santee, El Cajon, La Mesa, Lakeside, and Grossmont College having transferred to SDSU over the years. A deep March Madness run generates city-wide energy across the region.
The MWC Championship tips off Saturday evening in Las Vegas. A win clinches the automatic bid; a loss still leaves the Aztecs on the NCAA Tournament bubble, anxiously awaiting Selection Sunday on March 15.