By Michael West, Contributing Writer
Jadeon Le Dee scored 27 points and added 11 rebounds in another scintillating performance as San Diego State held on to defeat the San Jose Spartans 72-64 in Mountain West action last night. Eiljah Saunders added 10 points for the Aztecs, while Darrion Trammell had 8 Assists in the see-saw battle.
The Aztecs reverted to form with a modest start to the game, as the Spartans remained close in the first half until El Saunders landed a 3-point shot with 1:57 left in the first half. The Aztecs closed the half ahead by a solid 29-22 score.
San Diego State steadily gained control of the game in the second half, building a comfortable 49-35
point lead midway through the half when LeDee completed a 3 point play at the free throw line with 12 minutes remaining in the game.
San Jose State slowly marched back into the contest and narrowed the lead when Latrell Davis sank a layup to make the score a 64-60 contest. Reese Waters, Miles Byrd and Micah Parish sealed the game by sinking their free throws as San Jose continuously fouled to stop the clock in an effort to complete their comeback.
The Victory sets the stage for the Aztecs' effort to claim the Mountain West regular Season Conference Title. San Diego State now has an 11-5 Conference Record as they face UNLV-winners of last night's 75-69 contest over the Wyoming Cowboys. The Running Rebels have a 10-5 Conference Record and host the Aztecs on Tuesday March 5th.
The Aztecs close the season on Friday, March 8th hosting the Boise State Broncos, who are tied atop the Conference with Utah State-each with an 11-4 Conference Record. UNLV will play the role of spoiler, and a victory in Las Vegas will set the stage for the Aztecs to also play spoiler when they face the Broncos.
Utah State, the Conference co-leaders, solidified their effort to claim the regular season title with a 77-73 win Tuesday night at Fresno State. The Aztecs will need to win their final two games and a Utah State loss in order to claim a share of the Conference Title. Both victories will solidify San Diego State’s chances to land another entry into the NCAA Men's Tournament however.
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Sources: ESPN.com, and Cover.com
