Aztecs rebound (literally), beat Colorado State at Mountain West Conference Tournament

One of the biggest bugaboos for San Diego State’s basketball team this year … and a major reason they’re perched precariously on the NCAA Tournament bubble … is their inability to rebound consistently. The Aztecs were 8th in the Mountain West Conference in rebounding margin, a head scratcher for a program that has long prided itself on the ability to control the glass.

They picked a good time to fix that issue.

SDSU outrebounded Colorado State by 12 in a 71-62 win on Thursday night in Las Vegas, putting them two wins away from an automatic spot in March Madness. Their dominance on the boards was enough to help SDSU overcome a terrible night of long-range shooting (just 1-for-11 from 3-point range), as was their ridiculous depth.

Miles Byrd led the Aztecs with 12 points, followed by 11 from Reese Dixon-Waters and Pharaoh Compton, and they had plenty of help. Head coach Brian Dutcher put nine players on the floor and all of them logged at least 15 minutes. SDSU’s bench outscored the Rams reserves 24-6.

The Aztecs are into the semifinals on Friday, where they’ll meet either New Mexico or San Jose State, and they’re going to have to win that one, too. With a resume that’s lacking impact wins San Diego State very likely would not be given an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament if they fall before the tournament title tilt.