NCAA Basketball: Best games from 2019-20 season – UNLV vs. San Diego State

An unexpected clash between UNLV and San Diego State stood out late in the season; let’s remember what went down.

The play of San Diego State was one of the biggest stories of the last basketball season, as they raced to an undefeated start. The Mountain West remains a talented basketball conference with plenty of successful programs, but the Aztecs were setting the curve. Our next top 40 game from the 2019-20 season looks at a big test the Aztecs received from UNLV.

31. UNLV 66, #4 San Diego State 63

February 22, 2020, Viejas Arena in San Diego, CA

The Mountain West has been one of the best mid-major conferences in college basketball in recent memory. We’ve seen in recent years as programs like Nevada and Utah State have made NCAA Tournament trips, while teams like Colorado State and New Mexico are building back into relevance. On a cool February night, two other Mountain West teams faced off, two teams who had already exceeded expectations this season.

UNLV sat at 14-14 but had been playing much better ball in recent weeks. First-year coach T. J. Otzelberger had quite a project building this roster into playing shape, but it was finally paying off. Led by grad transfer Elijah Mitrou-Long and sophomore Bryce Hamilton, the Rebels had won three of their last four games after a long losing streak, getting themselves back into the Mountain West race.

However, they weren’t in the running for the conference title, as San Diego State had already run away with it. Picked to finish 2nd in the conference, San Diego State had shocked the nation with a 26-0 start that had included wins over BYU, Creighton, and Iowa, all ranked teams by season’s end. The Aztecs’ impressive roster included studs like Malachi Flynn and Yanni Wetzell, who were both transfers who fit in well with coach Brian Dutcher’s system.

Many expected San Diego State to keep tearing through their Mountain West foes, but they had dealt with a few challenging games. UNLV built an early lead before the Aztecs tied it again a few minutes later. A 3-pointer from Malachi Flynn gave San Diego State a 14-13 lead just under eight minutes into the game, but then things started to turn.

The Rebels would score the next 10 points, with 6 of them coming from Mitrou-Long. Free throws helped keep the Aztecs in the game, as they survived an 8-minute stretch without a made basket. It looked like the Aztecs would pull back close before the half, but a few sloppy possessions led to a 37-25 lead for the Rebels.

To this point, San Diego State hadn’t panicked, working their way to victory in each of their first 26 games, but tonight something was different. Even at home, they were struggling to get going, as UNLV grabbed an early 14-point lead in the second half. However, the Aztecs weren’t going away, and a quick 7-0 spurt was highlighted by a 3-pointer from Jordan Schakel.

But UNLV had an answer themselves, building the lead back to 14 as they neared the midpoint of the second half. San Diego State needed its elite defense and it went to work. They held UNLV without a basket for nearly seven minutes, but could only pull to within 7 points. UNLV was making their free throws to this point, but the Aztecs still had a shot.

A Flynn 3-pointer made it a 6-point deficit with two and a half minutes left. Two minutes later, the Aztecs cut the lead all the way down to 2. Mitrou-Long hit his free throws late, even after another well-timed Flynn 3-pointer made this a 1-point game in the final minute. The Aztecs had a chance late, but Flynn couldn’t drop in another long-range shot, and UNLV survived 66-63.

San Diego State had been a dominant force all season long, especially on defense, but had slipped at home, falling to 26-1. Flynn’s 27 points led all scorers, but the Aztecs just got in too big of a hole in the second half. Statistically, the two teams were very similar, but Mitrou-Long (19 points) and Hamilton (11 points, 10 rebounds) were ready for the challenge. Mitrou-Long hit four important free throws in the final minute, a clutch performance that solidified the win.

UNLV is a program on the rise who would win their last two regular-season games before falling in the Mountain West quarterfinals. That Otzelberger led this team to a 2nd place finish in the Mountain West was an impressive statement in his first season at Las Vegas, let alone pulling off this type of shocking upset. The Rebels are set up well for the future if Otzelberger keeps bringing talent to the program, and this is the kind of win that galvanizes future success.

For San Diego State, this loss was not the end of the world and perhaps took off some of the pressure. While the Aztecs did fall in the Mountain West Tournament to Utah State, they were virtually guaranteed a top 2 seed had the NCAA Tournament not been canceled. It’s a real shame we never got to see this talented Aztecs team on the national stage. They may not start next season 26-0, but don’t be shocked to see San Diego State competing at the top for Mountain West titles again real soon.

Everyone expected San Diego State to run their record to 27-0, but UNLV had other ideas on this night. They help firm as the Aztecs defense helped them get back into the game, with Mitrou-Long’s clutch performance a key reason why the Rebels extended their winning streak and ended the nation’s longest in the process. On paper, this game didn’t seem like an exciting affair, but as San Diego State now knows, there’s a reason they play the games.