Mountain West Tournament Semifinals: #5 San Jose State vs. #1 SDSU: Game Preview, How To Watch, Odds, Prediction
The Spartans overpowered the Wolfpack yesterday to make it to the semifinals. Do they stand a chance against the Aztecs?
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The #1-seed Aztecs escaped an upset against the Rams yesterday, and now face the #5-seed Spartans in the Semifinals.
WHEN: Friday, March 10th – 6:30 p.m. PST / 9:30 p.m. EST
WHERE: Thomas & Mack Arena- Las Vegas, NV (Capacity 18,776)
WATCH: CBSSN
RADIO: San Diego Sports 760 / SiriusXM App ch. 968
SERIES RECORD: San Diego State and San Jose State meet for the 82nd time on Friday evening. The Aztecs hold a 46-35 series advantage.
LAST MEETING: The Aztecs defeated the Spartans 77-58 at Viejas Arena, on Saturday, January 28th, 2023.
WEBSITES: GoAztecs.com, the official San Diego State athletics website; SJSUSpartans.com, the official San Jose State athletics website.
ODDS: SDSU -8.5
OVER/UNDER: 126.5
Las Vegas, NV – The 2023 Mountain West Tournament has not disappointed fans through the first two days with intense competitive play.
San Jose State now finds itself in the Semifinals after taking down potential dark horse Nevada, and now prepares to face San Diego State next.
The Aztecs, meanwhile, escaped the Rams who opened the match with a punch in the mouth to SDSU, waging an 8-0 run following tipoff. They clawed back and led by halftime, but the Rams didn’t go away. The lead changed hands repeatedly, before the Aztecs closed out the game 64-61.
Who will prevail in the Semifinals match?
Let’s take a closer look.
Why The Spartans Will Win
San Jose State will be going for a fifth consecutive win, and a seventh win in the last nine games.
The Spartans played well over the past month and come into this game on a four-game winning streak. They will try to keep the momentum going with a win over the Aztecs.San Jose State is averaging 66.9 points per game. They scored 81 points in their last game, making 49.2 percent of their field goals and 24 percent of their three-pointers.
Omari Moore led the Spartans with 26 points, four rebounds, and 10 assists. Sage Tolbert III finished with 20 points and six rebounds, while Alvaro Cardenas added 14 points, five rebounds, and four assists.
San Jose State has played well defensively, giving up 66.3 points per game. They gave up 77 points in their last game. If they do a better job against SDSU they could win this game.
Why The Aztecs Will Win
The Aztecs bounced back from their loss to Boise State with two straight wins. They will try to keep the momentum rolling with a win over the Spartans, for a third straight win and a ninth win in the last ten games.
San Diego State is averaging 72.2 points per game. They scored 64 points in their last game, making 38.2 percent of their field goals and 26.3 percent of their three-pointers.
Lamont Butler led the Aztecs with 16 points and five rebounds. Matt Bradley finished with 13 points, two rebounds, and two assists, while Jaedon LeDee added 10 points and eight boards.
San Diego State has played well defensively, giving up 64.7 points per game. They gave up 61 points in their last game. If they make a similar effort they will likely get the win.
What Will Happen
The Aztecs have played well offensively, scoring more than 72 points per game. They’ve taken advantage of their opportunities at the charity stripe, making over 80 percent of their free throws in their last three games.
They rebound the ball well and they’re aggressive on the offensive boards which will give them more scoring chances. They also do a good job protecting the ball and won’t give the Spartans easy-scoring opportunities.
The Spartans haven’t been efficient on the road and will have a hard time slowing down the Aztecs in this game. The Spartans have won four straight, but they’ve lost six of their last eight road games. They have struggled offensively on the road, scoring a little over 65 points per game.
They’ve also struggled at the free throw line, making less than 70 percent of free throws. Their ball movement wasn’t very good in their last three games, but they rebounded well, which will help them stay in the game.
They have been careless with the ball on the road, which will lead to turnovers for the Aztecs, who average more than seven steals per game. The Aztecs have played well defensively and held their last three opponents under 64 points per game. Expect them to keep the Spartans’ offense in check. San Diego State will prevail, with some breathing room.
Final Score: SDSU 72, San Jose State 62