The San Diego State men’s basketball team opened the  Reese’s Mountain West Championship with a big 73-67 victory last Wednesday against Boise State University, a team that beat the Aztecs just four days prior. The two teams shared the exact same season record and were split 1-1 in their season series, but the Aztecs proved too much to handle.

Junior guard Jamaal Franklin led the Aztec offense with 19 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Junior guard Xavier Thames had 18 points of his own and senior guard Chase Tapley added 17.

“He’s our best defender,” SDSU head coach Steve Fisher said. “He’s the guy that initiates all the offense, too.”

The Aztecs’ defense was as stingy as it has been all season, but brief stretches of lapse allowed the Broncos to make runs to stay in the game. The only lead Boise could manage came after a 14-0 run led by sophomore guard Derrick Marks.

Unfortunately for the Broncos, that was the only stretch in which Marks was an offensive threat. Unable to score at all in the first half, Marks finished with 14 points. Sophomore guard Anthony Drmic led all scorers with 20 points.

SDSU went on to face the University of New Mexico in the semifinals.

“They’re going to come at us and they’re going to want to smack us around like they did at their place,” Fisher said.