Top-Seeded SDSU In Search Of Third Straight MW Tournament Title

* Top-seeded and No. 18/21 San Diego State, winners of a conference-record eight consecutive Mountain West tournament games, looks for its third straight MW tournament title Saturday afternoon as it faces second-seeded New Mexico at 4 p.m. PT inside Thomas & Mack Center.

* SDSU is in position for its third straight MW tournament championship and fifth consecutive Mountain West crown (2010 tournament, 2011 regular season, 2011 tournament, 2012 regular season) after it defeated fourth-seeded Colorado State, 79-69, in the semifinals on Friday. Four players scored in double figures for the Aztecs with MW Player of the Year Jamaal Franklin leading the way with 19 points. Chase Tapley, meanwhile, added 17 points and a game-high six assists.

* The Aztecs are making their league-record fourth straight appearance, and sixth overall, in the Mountain West tournament title game. San Diego State won the tournament championship in 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2011. The four tournament crowns are a Mountain West record.

* San Diego State is one of only seven teams nationally to have won 25 or more games in four consecutive seasons (2008-09 through 2011-12). The list is as follows: Brigham Young, Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas, Saint Mary's, Syracuse and SDSU.

* For the first time in the 13-year history of the MW, a team has won four straight men's basketball titles (counts regular-season and tournaments). SDSU joins Kansas and Ohio State as the only teams to win regular-season titles in 2010-11 and 2011-12 and conference tournament championships in 2010 and 2011.

* Despite losing four starters off last season's team and not being selected to make the NCAA Tournament field by any preseason magazine, San Diego State has already posted its program-best seventh consecutive 20-win campaign and a school-record fourth-straight 25-win season. National Coach of the Year candidate and MW Coach of the Year Steve Fisher has the Aztecs on the verge of a third straight NCAA appearance despite not being picked to finish higher than third place in the MW by any preseason publication.

 The New Mexico Game

* San Diego State and New Mexico are meeting for the third time this season with each team winning on the road.

* New Mexico owns the all-time series lead, 39-32, but the Aztecs have won four of the last five meetings. Since the start of the 2006 Mountain West Conference campaign, San Diego State is 11-4 vs. the Lobos.

* SDSU and New Mexico have never met in the championship game of the Mountain West tournament. The schools, however, met twice before in the MW Championship with the Lobos winning in 2005 and the Aztecs returning the favor in 2010. Both match-ups were in the semifinals.