It wasn’t pretty, but it didn’t matter.
The San Diego State men’s basketball team fought, scratched and clawed its way to a 71-65 victory over Utah State in the quarterfinals of the Mountain West tournament Thursday afternoon at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas.
The Aztecs trailed nearly the entire first and second half, but came away with the victory thanks to late runs in both halves, and will play either University of New Mexico or University of Nevada in the semifinals.
As the team walked off the court after the win, the relief on the players’ faces was evident.