March 13, 2008

LAS VEGAS, Nev. - San Diego State Game Notes | SDSU Broadcast Flip Card

(4)San Diego State (20-11/9-7 MWC) vs. (1)Brigham Young (26-6/14-2 MWC)

Television: CBS College Sports (4SD, Cox Cable channel 321, Time Warner 415, DirecTV 610, Dish Network 152) and The Mtn. (Cox Cable 320); Tom Hart (play-by-play), Steve Lappas (analysis)
Radio: AM 600 KOGO - Ted Leitner (play-by-play).

Dramatic Win Over Air Force, Fourth-Seeded San Diego State Faces Long-Time Rival, Top-Seeded and 24th/23rd-Ranked Brigham Young in Semifinals on Friday
Having secured a third consecutive 20-win season, the first such span for the program since 1938-39, 1939-40 and 1940-41, San Diego State (20-11 overall) continues its quest for an unprecedented third Mountain West Conference Tournament Championship when the Aztecs face top-seeded and 24th/23rd-ranked (AP/Coaches) Brigham Young (26-6 overall) at 6:35 p.m. PDT in the semifinal round of the 2008 Phillips 66 Mountain West Conference Championship on Friday.

The Aztecs and Cougars will meet in the first men's semifinal game of the day at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. The contest will be televised by CBS College Sports, The Mtn. and Channel 4 San Diego. The game will also be broadcast by the flagship station for San Diego State sports, AM 600 KOGO.

San Diego State used a gutsy performance to squeak out a 53-49 victory over fifth-seeded Air Force in the quarterfinal round of the tournament on Thursday. With several of SDSU's normal starters battling the flu, most notably Billy White, Ryan Amoroso and D.J. Gay, the Aztecs overcame 35.9 percent field-goal shooting and an 8:31 scoreless stretch in the second half to claim the four-point victory.

Junior forward Lorrenzo Wade connected on all 10 of his free throw attempts in the final 3:27 of the game. As a team, the Aztecs went 20-of-22 from the charity stripe in the contest.

Junior center Ryan Amoroso led the Aztecs with a team-high 15 points and five rebounds. Wade scored 12 points and added a team-high seven rebounds and five assists. Junior guard Richie Williams added 12 points and five assists.

San Diego State and Brigham Young are meeting for the 63rd time with the Cougars owning a comfortable 41-21 series lead. The teams have split the season series each of the past three seasons. Despite 62 previous encounters, the teams are playing for just the second time in conference tournament action. In 2002, SDSU defeated Brigham Young, 62-51, in the quarterfinals, en route to claiming the 2002 title.

Overcoming a team-wide epidemic of the flu is just the recent challenge for an Aztec squad that has played shorthanded at times this season. San Diego State starters have combined to miss 46 games this season due to injury, illness or suspension (Tim Shelton 27, Kyle Spain 11 and Richie Williams 8). The Aztecs have had a Division I era high 11 different players start a game this season.

Despite those challenges, the Aztecs sit on 20 victories, the fifth-highest total in the school's 38 Division I season. San Diego State which advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2006 and the NIT in 2007, is looking for a third consecutive postseason berth for the first time since 1940, 1941 and 1942.