SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — Junior forward Matt Mitchell had 22 points and 12 rebounds for his first career double-double and scored his 1,000th point for the No. 4 ranked Aztecs, which beat New Mexico 82-59 to win the Mountain West Conference championship.
The Aztecs remain the nation’s only undefeated team.
Yanni Wetzell added 20 points and nine rebounds for the Aztecs, who are 25-0.
They clinched at least a share of the Mountain West Conference title in the first half when Utah State beat Colorado State. The Aztecs then won the conference championship outright with a combination of suffocating defense that held New Mexico to 26 points and strong shooting in the second half. The loss drops New Mexico's record to 17-9.
"The hardest thing in basketball, obviously other than winning a Final Four, is winning a regular-season conference title because you have to do it over the whole season," said Aztecs head coach, Brian Dutcher after the game. He added, "To have the title outright already with four games to play is an incredible accomplishment."
It's the fourth outright regular-season Mountain West Conference title for the Aztecs. They have four regular-season games remaining before the conference tournament.
The quest for a perfect season continues on Sunday in Boise, Idaho with a matchup against the 17-9 Boise State Broncos. The game will tip-off at noon and can be seen on CBS Sports Network. The Aztecs return home on Saturday, February 22 to take on the UNLV Runnin' Rebels. Tickets are still available for that game and they start at around $90.
A San Diego State Graduate Assistant showed the reaction in the winning locker room.