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

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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.”

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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).

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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.”

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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)
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.”



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3 San Diego State players who won’t be on the roster in the 2026–27 season

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3 San Diego State players who won’t be on the roster in the 2026–27 season


The San Diego State Aztecs are bracing for some possible serious turnover this offseason and it’s not all going to be via the transfer portal. 

Leading scorer Reese Dixon-Waters is out of eligibility, as are Jeremiah Oden and Sean Newman Jr. Newman can petition for another season based on his junior college years, but it’s anyone’s guess if he’d get it.

Obviously, San Diego State’s roster movement is far from complete and the transfer portal doesn’t even open until April 7, the day after the national championship game. 

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The Aztecs’ once-promising season ended when they were left out of the NCAA Tournament following their loss to Utah State in the Mountain West Tournament championship game.

There are some players we know will not be on the squad next season, which will be the Aztecs’ first in the new-look Pac-12:

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Guard Reese Dixon-Waters

San Diego State Aztecs guard Reese Dixon-Waters (39). | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

After missing all of the 2024-25 season with a broken foot, Dixon-Waters returned for his final season of eligibility and led the Aztecs in scoring at 13.1 points per game. He was a second-team All-Mountain West pick. He scored his 1,000th career point at UNLV on Jan. 24 and finished his career with 1,220 points. 

Dixon-Waters played his first three seasons at USC before transferring to SDSU, where he started 23 of 37 games in 2023-24. He was a preseason All-Mountain West pick the next season before breaking a foot. He was so highly regarded that, despite missing all of last season, he was named to the preseason All-MW team in October. 

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One of his notable accomplishments was attempting more free throws (43) without a miss to start the 2023-24 season than any player in the country.

Forward Jeremiah Oden

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San Diego State Aztecs forward Jeremiah Oden (25). | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

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Oden started 15 games and played in 30 of 33 games in his final season of eligibility after transferring from Charlotte, where he redshirted in 2024-25. He averaged 4.6 points, 2.3 rebounds and 13.8 minutes. 

Oden scored his 1,000th career point on Feb. 3 against Wyoming, where he played his first three college seasons. He finished his career with 1,024 points and 495 rebounds. 

Oden didn’t play at all in a blowout home win against Utah State on Feb. 25, when Dutcher shortened his rotation from 11 to nine players. He had started the previous nine games. 

Oden also played one season at DePaul.

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Guard Sean Newman Jr. 

San Diego State Aztecs guard Sean Newman Jr. (4). | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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The transfer from Louisiana Tech played in all 33 games and made four starts, including Senior Night in the regular-season finale against UNLV and all three games in the MW tournament, when freshman Elzie Harrington was out with an injury. 

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Newman averaged 3.3 points, 2.4 assists and 15.4 minutes. 



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The Streamline: Concerns raised over future of Tecolote Canyon Golf Course

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The Streamline: Concerns raised over future of Tecolote Canyon Golf Course


Here is what you need to know in the March 25, 2026, Streamline newsletter:

This morning, we’re tracking San Diego Unified School District’s decision to rename Cesar Chavez Elementary School in the wake of serious allegations against the civil rights icon.

We’re also following the City of San Diego’s search for a new operator to reopen Tecolote Canyon Golf Course — and the neighbors pushing to safeguard and restore the surrounding natural space.

Plus, consumer reporter Marie Coronel shows why brand loyalty might be costing you more on your cell phone bill.

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THE STREAMLINE

WATCH — ABC 10News brings you The Streamline for Wednesday, March 25 — everything you need to know in under 10 minutes:

The Streamline: Wednesday, March 25


TOP STORY

The San Diego Unified School District board voted Tuesday night to begin renaming Cesar Chavez Elementary School following allegations of sexual abuse against the labor leader.

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The process will start with school leaders meeting with parents, teachers, students, and community members to select a new name.

While renaming a school typically takes several months, district officials said the timeline could be expedited in this case.

San Diego Unified usually limits itself to one school name change per year — in February, Clairemont High School’s mascot was changed from the Chieftains to the Captains.

However, board members said they would make an exception for this situation.

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San Diego Unified initiates renaming process for Cesar Chavez Elementary over abuse allegations

RELATED COVERAGE:


MICROCLIMATE FORECASTS

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BREAKING OVERNIGHT

(AP) — Iran received a 15-point proposal from the U.S. to reach a ceasefire in the war, two Pakistani officials said Wednesday.

The Pakistani officials described the proposal broadly as touching on sanctions relief, civilian nuclear cooperation, a rollback of Iran’s nuclear program, monitoring by the International Atomic Energy Agency, missile limits and access for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf.

The Trump administration reportedly offered the plan to Iran as the U.S. appears to seek an end to the war even while more troops head to the Middle East.

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The plan was submitted to Iran by intermediaries from the government of Pakistan, which has offered to host renewed negotiations between Washington and Tehran, a person briefed on the plan’s contours but who was not authorized to speak publicly told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

The U.S. military is preparing to deploy at least 1,000 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East in the coming days, according to three people with knowledge of the move who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military plans.

Any talks between the U.S. and Iran would face monumental challenges. Many of Washington’s shifting objectives, particularly over Iran’s ballistic missile and nuclear programs, remain difficult to achieve, and it is not clear who in Iran’s government has the authority or would be willing to negotiate.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s office said he has been discussing the war this week with several counterparts, but Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, the speaker of Iran’s Parliament, denied Trump’s claim of direct talks and an Iranian military spokesperson declared that the fighting would go on.

Alluding to progress in talks, U.S. President Donald Trump claimed Iran shared an oil- and gas-related “present,” a day after telling reporters that the Middle Eastern nation is eager for a deal to end the war.

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Story by The Associated Press


CONSUMER

While loyalty is usually a good thing, it’s possible it could be costing you money when it comes to your cell phone bill.

WATCH — Consumer reporter Marie Coronel goes over the simple checks you can do right now to make sure you’re not overpaying:

Comparing cell phone plans to save money on your bill

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WE FOLLOW THROUGH

The City of San Diego is seeking proposals from companies to lease and reopen the Tecolote Canyon Golf Course. While golfers welcome the move, some nearby residents argue it could harm the environment.

WATCH — Reporter Dani Miskell spoke to some neighbors about their expectations for whoever comes in to run the golf course:

Concerns grow over future of Tecolote Canyon Golf Course

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RELATED COVERAGE:


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San Diego neighborhoods push back against massive housing developments under Complete Communities plan

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San Diego neighborhoods push back against massive housing developments under Complete Communities plan


SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — San Diego leaders have been working to bring more affordable housing to the city through the Complete Communities plan, but several neighborhoods are pushing back against massive developments they say will change their communities’ character.

The Complete Communities plan provides incentives for developers to build more housing units. However, residents in Mission Hills, Golden Hill, Encanto, and Hillcrest are fighting proposed projects.

I first started looking into this a week ago when the president of Preserve Golden Hill told me about their fight against massive developments being brought to their neighborhood. A judge recently paused an apartment from being built in Golden Hill after the community filed a lawsuit.

That conversation eventually led me to Mission Hills, where residents are fighting a similar battle.

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A proposed 12-story development could be built on the corner of Goldfinch and Ft Stockton Drive if the development meets all the permit requirements under the city’s Complete Communities plan.

Doug Poole has lived in Mission Hills for 15 years. He and his dog find peace in their daily walks, but he worries the proposed building will disrupt the neighborhood.

“Everything that we do is, is right here,” Poole said.

“I have a dog I take to the park up here, uh, every day,” Poole said.

“It’s only gonna be 5 ft from that building behind me, and it would completely block all of the views from, from, uh, that window,” Poole said.

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Poole is concerned that the housing will be priced above market rate and that the Complete Communities plan does not require developers to include parking in transit priority areas.

“I wanna make it clear that we’re not against development. Uh, what we’re against is development that completely changes the character of a neighborhood,” Poole said.

“Some people are going to have cars, and right now it’s already crowded, so I don’t know where they would go,” Poole said.

Margaret Virissimo is the founder of San Diego United Communities, a group that has helped multiple neighborhoods stop massive developments through lawsuits. Like Poole, Virissimo said the group isn’t against housing developments, but they want them to fit the neighborhood’s characteristics and be affordable.

“Since Complete Communities passed and SB 79 came our way, things have changed in, uh, San Diego and it is now becoming a, uh, concrete juggle without any community input or conversations,” Virissimo said.

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“We’re losing a lot of that historical, um, housing, uh, for the future for the future generation to be able to purchase,” Virissimo said.

While walking the neighborhood with Poole, he showed me a letter the Mission Hills Community Review Council’s attorney sent to the city in December. The letter outlines four major areas where the proposed development violates Complete Communities’ height restrictions.

Poole said they have not received a response.

I took their concerns to the city Tuesday morning.

The city said in a statement:

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“Like many cities throughout California and the nation, San Diego faces a housing shortage and affordability crisis. This stems in part from decades of insufficient new home construction to keep pace with demand. Over the past three years, the City has permitted an average of 8,700 homes. New homes are being built near jobs, schools and transit, which provides people with opportunities to live in places where it is quicker to get to work, school and services. The City is continuing its work to help increase the housing supply and affordability across all neighborhoods and for people of all incomes. Removing barriers to new home construction while having clear rules in place to ensure that new development enhances neighborhoods is a key goal in the City’s efforts. This means that San Diego’s younger generations can stay in San Diego, raise a family and overall contribute to a growing economy that benefits everyone.”

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.





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