San Diego State Aztecs will face a familiar foe in the Mountain West Tournament quarterfinals on Thursday, taking on Boise State for the third time this season. After winning both regular-season meetings in convincing fashion, SDSU is prepared for the challenge of beating the Broncos again—but understands the difficulty of doing so in a high-stakes, win-or-go-home setting.
Guard Miles Byrd acknowledged the challenge of playing a team three times, especially one as physical and talented as Boise State.
“It’s a gauntlet. Every team you’re going to play, you’ve seen twice already this year with the round-robin schedule that we have,” Byrd said. “So, I mean, you’re familiar with everybody you’re going to play against, and it’s not going to be any easy games come Thursday.”
Boise State enters the matchup looking for redemption after two tough losses to the Aztecs. In the first meeting on Jan. 9, SDSU dominated at home with a 85-66 win, powered by their defensive intensity and an explosive offensive performance. In the rematch on Feb. 6 in Boise, the Aztecs completed the season sweep with a 76-66 victory, once again proving their ability to handle the Broncos’ physicality.
Despite those wins, SDSU expects Boise State to adjust their approach for this critical third encounter.
“Yeah, I think they’ll switch some things up. They have a great coaching staff who’s probably working on a game plan that’s really intense,” Guard Nick Boyd said. “Probably be really physical with us. We haven’t played them without Goon, so I’m sure they’ll try to poke some holes in that. At the same time, they have a talented team—I mean, they got Denhart, who’s been playing well all year, and Cardinez, who’s one of the best guards in the conference. That gives them a chance at all times. But I think they’ll try to switch some things up just in terms of their coverage and being more physical.”
One major factor in the matchup is the potential absence of Magoon Gwath, who has been a defensive anchor for the Aztecs. Boise State may look to exploit that if he is unavailable.
“It changes things a lot. Obviously, we have to go to some smaller lineups where we could use our quickness and our athleticism in a different way, which could kind of give us an advantage,” Boyd said. “But it’s a tough task. Boise is a big, physical, strong team. So, it’s on us to just man up and bang with them at the end of the day.”
The high stakes of tournament play add another layer of intensity to the matchup, as both teams are fighting for their NCAA Tournament hopes.
“We’re doing the same thing. Till our name gets called on Selection Sunday, we’re fighting for our lives,” Boyd said. “So, we’re fighting for the same thing. I know they’ll be motivated, we’ll be motivated. And I think we have a lot to prove after this conference slate where it took a toll on us as a team, in my opinion. We didn’t have our best nights all the time, whether it was focus, energy, or execution. So now we have a tournament-style event where we get a chance to show the league that we got better.”
Boyd also echoed the expectation of a physical, hard-fought battle against the Broncos.
“No doubt. I’m ready to bang. I’m having fun—I’m just ready to bang,” Boyd said. “It’s March. I’m excited to play. Like I said, every single Mountain West game that I played in has been physical, has been intense, it’s kind of been personal. So, I’m ready to bang and I’m with whatever.”
Boise State will also be making adjustments after failing to slow down key SDSU players in the previous matchups. One major storyline is how the Broncos will attempt to handle SDSU’s size and defensive presence inside, especially if Gwath is unavailable.
“I think specifically against Boise State, you know, Goon makes it really hard for Denhart just because of his length and how much bigger he is than Denhart, taller than he is,” Byrd said. “But I think the hottest group in our team right now is the bigs, so I think that they’re going to be in there, they’re going to go ready, compete, get locked in for the next two days on the scout, and then, yeah, I mean, we’re excited. If we have Goon, thrilled. If we don’t, you know, we got to do what we got to do to get him back.”
With both teams understanding each other’s strengths and weaknesses, this third meeting promises to be a battle. Gwath, known for his defensive impact, acknowledged Boise State’s strengths and the challenge of facing them again.
“They got an all-Mountain West guy in Tyson Denhart—you know, he’s well-respected in this league, been doing what he’s doing for four years. They got Cardinez, who’s been great in the Mountain West as well,” Byrd said. “So, you know, they’re not going to come down and just give it in. So, it’s going to be a good game come Thursday.”
San Diego State, which thrives in high-pressure situations, is looking forward to the intensity of tournament play.
“I mean, this is the best type of basketball, in my opinion,” Byrd said. You got to play like your hair is on fire. Every team you’re going to play at this time of the year is going to be a really good team, well-connected. So, this is when I think teams who are really good show that they’re really good.”
As the Aztecs prepare for the third showdown with Boise State, they know they’ll need to bring their best effort to advance in the Mountain West Tournament. Tipoff is set for 2:30 p.m. PST at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
