San Diego St Vs New Mexico: Sold-Out The Pit Hosts Mountain West Title Decider
The San Diego St Vs New Mexico matchup will take place at The Pit in Albuquerque with a noon MT/11 a. m. PT tip and a national broadcast on CBS, and the outcome will have immediate bearing on the Mountain West regular-season title race. The sold-out arena and national telecast elevate what is effectively one of the final, decisive games in the conference race.
San Diego St Vs New Mexico at The Pit
The Lobos will host the Aztecs in a packed venue that has organized a "stripe-out" theme for the CBS telecast; the game is scheduled to tip at noon Mountain Time and will air on CBS. San Diego State enters tied for first in the Mountain West and is one of five teams still with a mathematical chance of winning the regular-season crown. New Mexico sits close behind, and a loss by the Lobos could have immediate implications for the final standings.
Both teams bring momentum and storylines into the contest. San Diego State is 19-8 overall and 13-4 in conference play; New Mexico is 21-7 overall and 12-5 in the Mountain West. The Pit’s sellout and national exposure mean the result will be a major factor for seeding: a win for San Diego State would ensure it finishes the regular season in at least the top three of the conference and likely preserve or improve its standing for the conference tournament first-round bye.
Brian Dutcher’s Aztecs: defense, scoring and recent form
San Diego State’s recent performance has been defined by a stout defense and an efficient offense. Through 27 games the Aztecs are averaging 79. 3 points per game, and in a 13-4 stretch over the last 17 outings they have held opponents to an average of 67. 9 points on 38. 0 percent shooting from the field and 31. 6 percent from three. Over those 17 games SDSU has compiled 139 steals (an 8. 2 per-game rate), 73 blocks (4. 3 per game) and forced 256 turnovers (15. 1 per game), numbers that have helped maintain their place atop the league race.
National metrics underline that defensive identity: Kenpom ranks San Diego State first among Mountain West teams in defensive efficiency, turnover percentage, steal percentage and block percentage, and places the Aztecs among the national leaders in block percentage (No. 10), turnover percentage (No. 13) and adjusted defensive efficiency (No. 17). That defensive foundation has translated to resilience: after an 89-72 victory over Utah State the Aztecs improved to 53-12 in games that followed a loss and snapped a two-game slide.
Individual contributions have been notable. Miles Byrd has reached statistical thresholds not seen from an Aztec since at least the 1996-97 season in scoring, rebounding, assists and blocks. Magoon Gwath, who returned after missing five games, produced a rare combination of at least three 3-pointers and five blocks in the game against Nevada, another sign of depth that complements the program’s defensive focus.
New Mexico's youth and local ties under Eric Olen
New Mexico’s roster and staff feature multiple San Diego-area connections under coach Eric Olen, a UCSD product, and the Lobos rely heavily on a trio of freshmen who provide most of the scoring punch. Freshman guard Jake Hall averages 16. 0 points per game, forward Tomislav Buljan averages 11. 7, and guard Uriah Tenette averages 10. 6; nationally, New Mexico and one other program are the only Division I teams with three freshmen scoring in double figures.
The timing matters because a win for the Lobos in front of a full house would not only energize the roster but also create momentum for the closing stretch of the schedule, while a loss would complicate the race for the regular-season title. What makes this notable is the combination of stakes, venue and exposure: a conference race hinge played before a sold-out crowd on national television amplifies both immediate consequences and postseason perception for both teams.
San Diego State completes its 2025-26 Mountain West Farewell Tour with this trip to The Pit; for the Aztecs, the next steps after Saturday include a Tuesday game at Boise State and a March 6 regular-season finale at home. For New Mexico, protecting home court in a packed arena will be central to staying in contention. The outcome in Albuquerque will reverberate through seeding scenarios and NCAA Tournament projections as the regular season reaches its final week.
