ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO – FEBRUARY 25: Matt Bradley #20 of the San Diego State Aztecs drives against Javonte Johnson #13 of the New Mexico Lobos at The Pit on February 25, 2023 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. (Photo by Sam Wasson/Getty Images)
San Diego State got a gift on Saturday afternoon. Boise State, the team right behind them in the Mountain West standings, lost at San Jose State. That means if the Aztecs could beat New Mexico in Albuquerque their magic number to win the regular season conference title would be one with two games to play.
They're not one to let a present like that go to waste.
SDSU trailed by 10 at halftime but Darrion Trammell exploded in the 2nd half, scoring 12 of his 18 points after the break, and Lamont Butler hit the biggest shot of his life when it mattered most to give the Aztecs a thrilling 73-71 win at The Pit.
The Lobos ended the first half on a 16-3 run to take a 37-27 lead. In the final 20 minutes the shots started falling for the Aztecs. They hit eight shots from 3-point land, four of them from Trammell, but at the end it looked like the Lobos would escape with a win. UNM guard Jalen House scored a layup off a turnover with six seconds left to put the Lobos up 71-70.
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Butler knew exactly how long he had and used every last moment to perfection. Lamont took the inbounds pass, dribbled across the half court line, pulled up and buried a 3-pointer as the final horn sounded to give the Aztecs the win, avenging one of their two conference losses and now it seems almost impossible for SDSU to not win the outright Mountain West title.
The Aztecs travel to Idaho to face Boise State on Tuesday. Win either that or the finale against Wyoming and another championship banner will be hanging from the rafters at Viejas Arena.
