No. 2 New Mexico (17-4) will get a shot at top-ranked Utah State (18-2) on Saturday.
Eddie Moore/The Albuquerque Journal/Via AP
Steve Alford has not felt all that good about his Nevada Wolf Pack men's basketball team for quite a while.
"It's been very frustrating since Thanksgiving," said Alford at his postgame press conference (published at Nevada Sports Net) after a lifeless 69-50 loss to the San Diego State Aztecs at home on Saturday.
Alford's Wolf Pack, No. 6 in this week's Nevada Appeal Mountain West rankings, have gone 5-8 since Thanksgiving after starting the season 6-1. The Pack, now 11-9 overall and 3-6 in the Mountain West, was also blown out, 90-69, at Utah State last Wednesday.
"We've lost just about every way you can lose," said Alford, who didn't allow any of his players to meet the media after the loss to San Diego State.
The Wolf Pack turned in one of its worst shooting performances since Alford took over the program for the 2019-20 season, going 15-of-51 (29 percent) from the floor and 5-of-26 on threes (19 percent).
No. 3 San Diego State (13-5, 6-3) was coming off an unimpressive 77-76 overtime victory over No. 11 Air Force on Wednesday.
"As much as it feels good to win by 19, we won't dismiss any of the things we didn't do well," Aztecs coach Brian Dutcher said on goaztecs.com. "They've got to be held to a high standard."
The Wolf Pack had more offensive rebounds (18-12) and free throws (15-of-22 to 6-of-8) than the Aztecs. The game truly just came down to shooting, as San Diego State was 27-of-56 (48 percent) from the floor, exploiting the Wolf Pack in the paint (36-12).
"We've got to be tougher mentally," Alford said. "We don't have that cohesiveness and that toughness that we've got to have. We've got to grow and mature."
The Aztecs had gone just 3-3 before winning two games last week.
"I felt like we pushed through a wall (on Saturday), Dutcher said. "We had to push through all the stuff that had not going well."
No. 1 Utah State (18-2, 8-1) whipped Nevada at home (90-69) on Wednesday and Air Force (87-58) on the road on Saturday. Ian Martinez had 23 points on 7-of-9 shooting on threes against Nevada and added 16 against Air Force. The Aggies had 16 threes against both Nevada and Air Force.
No. 2 New Mexico (17-4, 9-1) needed 34 points from Donovan Dent and 22 from Nelly Joseph to get past No. 7 UNLV, 75-73, on Saturday in Las Vegas. UNLV (11-9, 5-4) led 72-70 with just over three minutes to play before Dent hit two free throws and Joseph had a layup and a free throw for a game-winning 5-0 run.
The Lobos won despite missing 10-of-13 threes. Dedan Thomas led the Rebels with 18 points, but he missed a free throw that would have tied the game at 74-74 with a second to play.
"Donovan (Dent), offensively, was phenomenal," Lobos coach Richard Pitino told golobos.com. "Nelly was a hero and did some amazing things. We just had to find a way to get a win."
Colorado State (13-7, 7-2) jumped up to No. 4 after beating Boise State (75-72) and Fresno State (69-64) last week. Nique Clifford had 44 points in the two games combined.
Jalen Lake drained a 3-pointer with three seconds left to beat Boise State and Kyan Evans hit a 3-pointer to break a 64-64 tie with 52 seconds left against Fresno State.
No. 5 Boise State (13-7, 5-4), which will host Nevada on Wednesday, has now lost three of its last four and four of its last six games. Three of the last four games, though, have been on the road (all losses).
No. 8 San Jose State improved to 10-11, 3-6 with a 67-58 win at home over Wyoming on Saturday. Scottie Ebube had 22 points off the bench for No. 9 Wyoming (10-10, 3-6) and Latrell Davis had 22 off the bench for San Jose State.
Wyoming missed 25-of-31 threes in the loss.
The key game this week in the Mountain West is No. 2 New Mexico at No. 1 Utah State on Saturday. New Mexico has won 10 of its last 11 games while Utah State is 10-1 at home.
The Wolf Pack also has a critical week ahead with a game at Boise State on Wednesday and a matchup against UNLV at home on Saturday. The Pack won at Boise State (76-66) and beat UNLV (75-65) at home to close out the 2023-24 regular season with a seven-game winning streak.
The Nevada Appeal Mountain West men's basketball rankings for the week of Jan. 27:
1. UTAH STATE (18-2, 8-1). Last week: Utah State 90, Nevada 69 (Jan. 22); Utah State 87, Air Force 58 (Jan. 25). This week: UNLV at Utah State (Jan. 29); New Mexico at Utah State (Feb. 1).
2. NEW MEXICO (17-4, 9-1). Last week: New Mexico 95, Fresno State 67 (Jan. 20); New Mexico 75, UNLV 73 (Jan. 25). This week: New Mexico at Utah State (Feb. 1).
3. SAN DIEGO STATE (13-5, 6-3). Last week: San Diego State 77, Air Force 76, OT (Jan. 22); San Diego State 69, Nevada 50 (Jan.25). This week: San Jose State at San Diego State (Jan. 28); Wyoming at San Diego State (Feb. 1).
4. COLORADO STATE (13-7, 7-2). Last week: Colorado State 75, Boise State 72 (Jan. 22); Colorado State 69, Fresno State 64 (Jan. 25). This week: Air Force at Colorado State (Feb. 28).
5. BOISE STATE (13-7, 5-4). Last week: Colorado State 75, Boise State 72 (Jan. 22). This week: Nevada at Boise State (Jan. 29); Fresno State at Boise State (Feb. 1).
6. NEVADA (11-9, 3-6). Last week: Utah State 90, Nevada 69 (Jan. 22); San Diego State 69, Nevada 50 (Jan. 25). This week: Nevada at Boise State (Jan. 29); UNLV at Nevada (Feb. 1).
7. UNLV (11-9, 5-4). Last week: Wyoming 63, UNLV 61 (Jan. 21); New Mexico 75, UNLV 73 (Jan. 25). This week: UNLV at Utah State (Jan. 29); UNLV at Nevada (Feb. 1).
8. SAN JOSE STATE (10-11, 3-6). Last week: San Jose State 67, Wyoming 58 (Jan. 25). This week: San Jose State at San Diego State (Jan. 28); Air Force at San Jose State (Feb. 1).
9. WYOMING (10-10, 3-6). Last week: Wyoming 63, UNLV 61 (Jan. 21); San Jose State 67, Wyoming 58 (Jan. 25). This week: Fresno State at Wyoming (Jan. 28); Wyoming at San Diego State (Feb. 1).
10. FRESNO STATE (5-15, 1-8). Last week: New Mexico 95, Fresno State 67 (Jan. 20); Colorado State 69, Fresno State 64 (Jan. 25). This week: Fresno State at Wyoming (Jan. 28); Fresno State at Boise State (Feb. 1).
11. AIR FORCE (3-17, 0-9). Last week: San Diego State 77, Air Force 76, OT (Jan. 22); Utah State 87, Air Force 58 (Jan. 25). This week: Air Force at Colorado State (Jan. 28); Air Force at San Jose State (Feb. 1).