San Diego, CA

San Diego State beats Utah State, moves into first-place tie

Published

3 days ago

February 26, 2026

San Diego State beats Utah State, moves into first-place tie

This time, Reese Dixon-Waters watched his step.

And the senior forward’s game-high 20 points helped San Diego State get back in step in the Mountain West, leading the Aztecs to an 89-72 victory over Utah State at Viejas Arena.

“I was aggressive from the start,” Dixon-Waters said after SDSU ended a two-game losing streak and, more importantly, the Aztecs (19-8, 13-4 MW) moved into a first-place tie with the Aggies (23-5, 13-4) with three games remaining in the regular season.

“Probably our most complete game of the season,” said SDSU coach Brian Dutcher, whose team rebounded after last week’s losses to Grand Canyon and Colorado State. “We did what we had to do. We fought through a tough stretch of two really hard losses, and we got back on the winning track. … So our fate is in our hands.”

The Aztecs played with the “urgency” junior forward Miles Byrd said was necessary to finish out the regular season right. They avenged a 71-66 loss to the Aggies along the way.

Miles Heide #40 of San Diego State and Adlan Elamin #35 of Utah State vie for the rebound during their game at Viejas Arena on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

When SDSU played at Utah State last month, the Aztecs could have excused their five-point loss on any number of things.

Altitude: Logan’s Dee Glen Smith Spectrum is 4,783 feet, which leaves opponents fatigued and fighting for air in a game’s waning minutes.

Injuries: The absence of SDSU sophomore forward Magoon Gwath (hip) and freshman guard Elzie Harrington (lower leg) left the Aztecs without two starters.

Bad luck: Dixon-Waters was closing in on a career-high in scoring when he stepped on a teammate’s foot with 13 minutes left. He made only one more basket thereafter (though had a game-high 19 points).

An old classic: The dog ate their game plan.

There were no excuses needed in Wednesday night’s victory at Viejas, where the Aztecs breathed in the sea-level air, welcomed Gwath and Harrington back to the starting lineup and watched Dixon-Waters provide the first-half spark.

The Long Beach native scored 15 points — including 3-for-6 on 3-pointers — as SDSU built a 46-33 halftime lead. He had 10 straight points during a 2 1/2-minute stretch when the Aztecs turned a two-point lead into 29-21 advantage. And they never looked back.

“The hungry team usually wins,” Utah State coach Jerrod Calhoun said. “The tougher team usually wins. I think you would agree. You watched that with your own eyes. They were just a tougher team tonight, more prepared. …

“We had no want-to on the defensive end. And you’re not coming into Viejas, beating these guys with your offense. We’ve never beaten them with our offense. It’s always been our defense.”

Gwath had seven points in the first half, including a buzzer-beating three-pointer. After the ball kissed off the glass and went in, the 7-footer smiled broadly. (Maybe because he didn’t call bank.)

Pharaoh Compton #5 of San Diego State celebrates after a dunk against Utah State during their game at Viejas Arena on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

The Aztecs picked up where they left off in the second half, this time with Byrd getting into the act. He was scoreless in the first half, but hit a 3-pointer in the first minute back on the floor. Moments later, he followed with a layup. That made it 51-33 on the way to a 24-point lead.

There was a concious effort about “not letting up,” SDSU sophomore forward Pharaoh Compton said. “Don’t let our foot off the gas because we know a lot of times this year we let our foot off the gas going into the second half.”

The Show was in full throat at that point, with the student section paying particular attention to Utah State’s Karson Templin. He became the game’s designated villain after a hard foul underneath the basket eight minutes into the game, followed moments later when he fell on top of Gwath (no call) after the big man scored.

“Boos” followed Templin from then on. There were jeers when he launched an airball with six minutes remaining and taunts when Tae Simmons dunked over him on the other end.

“I think the last two games we could have been better,” Dixon-Waters said. “But I definitely think we’re back to where we were before, with our urgency and our toughness and our attention to detail. I think today was a good step in the right direction.”

Notable

Dixon-Waters was the only SDSU player in double figures the last time the teams met. He was joined this time by teammates Taj DeGourville (12), Simmons (11) and Compton (11). Byrd finished with eight points and Harrington had four.

• Utah State’s MJ Collins, the conference’s third-leading scorer, had a quiet 18 points to lead the Aggies. Mason Falslev, seventh in the MW, was next with 14.

• The Aztecs had a 38-30 rebounding advantage in the game after being outrebounded 46-31 when the teams met in Logan.

• SDSU shot 60.9 percent (14-for-23) from the floor in the second half after shooting 50 percent (16-for-32) in the first half. The free-throw line was another story, where the Aztecs went 22-for-33.

• The Aztecs’ bench scored at least 40 points for the 10th time this season.

• SDSU’s only three-game losing streak under Dutcher came in January 2018 during his first season as head coach. The only team in the country with a longer streak without losing three straight games is Gonzaga, which hasn’t lost three straight since January 2011.

• Next up: SDSU plays at New Mexico on Saturday at 11 a.m. PT (CBS). The Aztecs won 83-79 when the teams met last month at Viejas Arena. The Lobos (21-7, 12-5 MW) lost 67-60 at Nevada on Tuesday night.

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San Diego, CA

5 things to know about Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei

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11 hours ago

February 28, 2026

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5 things to know about Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei

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San Diego, CA

Joan Endres – San Diego Union-Tribune

Published

24 hours ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

Joan Endres

OBITUARY

Born January 1939 in Cincinnati Ohio. Died February 14, 2026, in San Diego, California, with her sons at her side. Her beloved husband Dean passed away in 2010.

Joan was the only child of Thomas and Edna Palmer. In 1943, the family moved to San Diego, where Joan graduated from Helix High School in 1956.

In 1957 Joan married Dean Endres of San Diego, where they raised two sons. Joan followed her two great passions outside the home, the Arts, and Gardening. Both activities being a way to bring beauty to others and to the community.

Joan received a degree in Environmental Design from San Diego State University, and afterwords worked at UCSD, for the Campus Architect.

As an artist, Joan worked in various media, especially ceramics. She was active in many cultural and arts organizations, eventually becoming President of the Combined Organization for the Visual Arts (COVA). Later she turned to gardening, with the Water Conservation Garden at Cuyamaca Community College and the Master Gardener Association of San Diego County.

Joan is survived by her son Jeff and wife Katrin, grandson Jackson, and son Todd Endres, all of La Mesa, and sisters Alice Buck of Phoenix, Elaine Kennedy of San Diego, Nancy and husband Don Jones of Vista, Eva Budzinski of Cloudcroft, New Mexico, and their children and grandchildren.

There will be a Celebration of Life for Joan in the near future. Those who wish to attend should contact celebratejoanuvart@gmail.com to receive details when they are confirmed. In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully suggests a donation to the Water Conservation Garden or the Diego Visual Arts Network (SDVAN).

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San Diego, CA

San Diego State moves back into NCAA Tournament field in latest ESPN Bracketology

Published

1 day ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

San Diego State moves back into NCAA Tournament field in latest ESPN Bracketology

The San Diego State Aztecs’ have moved off the bubble and back into the NCAA Tournament’s Field of 64 in the latest ESPN’s Bracketology projections.

The Aztecs must feel like a yo-yo, but now it’s in a good way. Bracket expert Joe Lunardi moved them from the bottom of the First Four Out — No. 72 — to holding the Mountain West’s automatic bid after an 89-72 home romp Wednesday night over Utah State, which had held the auto-bid in bracketology for a few weeks now.

Lunardi now has the Aztecs as the No. 11 seed in the West Region, with a projected first-round date against former MW rival BYU in Portland.

Lunardi wrote that SDSU’s auto-bid “shifts the entire bubble.”

Wednesday night’s victory not only pulled the Aztecs (19-8, 13-4) into a tie with Utah State (23-5, 13-4) atop the MW standings, but it was just their second Quad 1 victory in six such opportunities.

SDSU’s next two games are both Quad 1 chances, at New Mexico on Saturday and then at Boise State on Tuesday night.

The win lifted the Aztecs only one spot in the NCAA NET Rankings, to No. 43. Those rankings are used by the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee as the primary sorting tool for selection and seeding for March Madness.

SDSU’s resume for earning an at-large berth has been on shaky ground all season, and was seriously damaged last week when the Aztecs lost at home to Grand Canyon and were then routed at Colorado State, both Quad 2 games.

SDSU’s best bet to assure a trip to March Madness for the sixth straight season is to win the MW tournament in Las Vegas and claim the automatic bid. That requires winning three games in as many days, and perhaps a third showdown against the Aggies, who beat the Aztecs 71-66 in Logan on Jan. 31.

Lunardi now has Utah State projected as an at-large team, but still with the No. 7 seed in the East, facing No. 10 Texas A&M in a first-round game in St. Louis.

New Mexico (21-7, 12-5), lurking just a game behind SDSU and USU, has dropped from the Last Four In at No. 68 to the First Four Out at No. 70.

The Aztecs were the unanimous preseason pick to win the MW regular-season title in their final season in the league before moving into the Pac-12 along with Utah State, Boise State, Fresno State and Colorado State.

Saturday’s game at New Mexico is set to tip off at 11 a.m. PT and will air on CBS.

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