San Diego State and New Mexico Meet in Mountain West Tournament Semifinal

The longtime conference rivals face off with a spot in the championship game on the line.

Mar. 13, 2026 at 7:34pm

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The No. 2 seed San Diego State Aztecs will take on the No. 3 seed New Mexico Lobos in the semifinals of the Mountain West Tournament on Friday night. The winner will advance to the championship game, while the loser likely sees its NCAA Tournament hopes come to an end. The Aztecs and Lobos have a long-standing rivalry, with New Mexico holding a 53-47 edge in the all-time series. However, this will be the final meeting between the two schools as conference rivals, as San Diego State is moving to the Pac-12 next season while New Mexico remains in the Mountain West.

Why it matters

This game carries significant stakes, as the winner will secure a spot in the Mountain West Tournament championship and keep their NCAA Tournament hopes alive, while the loser will likely miss out on the Big Dance. The Aztecs and Lobos have been two of the most successful programs in Mountain West history, combining for 26 conference titles, so this matchup represents the end of an era for their long-running rivalry.

The details

San Diego State advanced to the semifinals by defeating No. 7 seed Colorado State 71-62, despite shooting just 1-of-11 from three-point range and 22-of-42 from the free throw line. The Aztecs dominated the paint, outscoring the Rams 42-8 and outrebounding them 43-31. Head coach Brian Dutcher knows his team will need to limit New Mexico's standout big man Tomislav Buljan, who is the Mountain West's leading rebounder at 10.4 per game. The Aztecs will also look to improve their free throw shooting after missing 20 attempts in the quarterfinal win.

  • The game will tipoff at 9 p.m. PT on Friday, March 13 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

The players

San Diego State Aztecs

The No. 2 seed in the Mountain West Tournament, the Aztecs are one of the most successful programs in conference history with 16 total championships, including 7 tournament titles and 9 regular season crowns.

New Mexico Lobos

The No. 3 seed, the Lobos are the second-most successful team in Mountain West history with 10 total championships, including 5 tournament titles and 5 regular season crowns.

Tomislav Buljan

The Mountain West's leading rebounder, averaging 10.4 boards per game, Buljan will be a key focus for the Aztecs' defense.

Brian Dutcher

The head coach of the San Diego State Aztecs, Dutcher will look to guide his team to the Mountain West Tournament championship game.

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What they’re saying

“We must rebound the basketball. We can't get dominated on the glass. If we rebound, then we can play with anybody in this tournament.”

— Brian Dutcher, Head Coach, San Diego State Aztecs

“We escaped tonight with some bad free-throw shooting. I'm going to fire the free-throw coach, but it's me, so I'm going to give myself one more day to try to get it right.”

— Brian Dutcher, Head Coach, San Diego State Aztecs

What’s next

The winner of Friday's semifinal matchup between San Diego State and New Mexico will advance to the Mountain West Tournament championship game on Saturday.

The takeaway

This game represents the end of an era for the long-running rivalry between two of the Mountain West's most successful programs. With San Diego State moving to the Pac-12 next season, the Aztecs and Lobos will meet for the final time as conference foes, adding extra significance to their semifinal clash in the 2026 Mountain West Tournament.