LAS VEGAS -- Greener pastures undoubtedly lay ahead for San Diego State when it enters the new look Pac 12 next season, but that doesn’t make the program’s Mountain West exit any less bittersweet.
The Aztecs’ storied 27-season run in the conference officially came to an end on Saturday with a 73-62 loss to No. 1 seed Utah State in the conference championship game, closing an unparalleled era of dominance that included seven tournament championships and 17 championship game appearances since the 1999-00 season.
Much of the game was exactly what you would have expected the final Mountain West championship as we know it to be, a competitive and hotly contested back and forth in the powder keg that is a neutral Thomas & Mack Center. However, the closing minutes showed why Utah State has widely been considered the conference’s only “safe” NCAA Tournament team to be throughout the season.
Kalin Sipes - The Sporting Tribune
Garry Clark (11) and Mason Falslev (12) share a moment of embrace after Utah State's 73-62 win over San Diego State in the Mountain West Championship Game on Saturday, March 14, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nev.
Leading 55-52 with just over five minutes remaining, tournament MVP MJ Collins buried 3-pointers on consecutive possessions to stretch Utah State’s lead 61-54. The latter 3-pointer was accompanied by an off-ball foul on Aggie forward Zach Keller against Reese Dixon-Waters while Utah State was in the bonus, sending Keller to the line where he would make both free throws that extended the lead to 63-54 and would ultimately serve as the championship dagger.
“I lost MJ Collins going on the baseline and just happened to run into a screener,” Dixon-Waters said. “I tried to cheat it, something I shouldn't have done, and whatever happened happened.”
Collins finished with 20 points on 8-of-15 shooting, making 4-of-10 attempts from 3-point range. Mountain West Player of the Year Mason Falslev added 16 points for Utah State but was hobbled in the first half with a lower leg injury and was clearly less than 100 percent from that point in the game on.
Dixon-Waters led San Diego State with 20 points, rebounding from his poor offensive performance in the semifinals on Saturday with an 8-of-12 afternoon from the field (2-of-3 from beyond the arc). Saturday’s hero BJ Davis scored 14 points on 4-of-8 shooting, while Magoon Gwath added 12 points with a 4-of-10 clip. Miles Byrd again struggled from the field, scoring seven points on 2-of-8 shooting, and the guard appeared to tweak his knee in the closing minutes of the game.
With Saturday’s game ending around 11:40 on Saturday night, San Diego State didn’t get back to their hotel until early Sunday Morning. Excuses are out of character for this bunch, but it was a clear explanation for the Aztecs’ lack of legs down the stretch against what appeared to be a much more energized Utah State team.
Kalin Sipes - The Sporting Tribune
San Diego State Miles Byrd (21) reacts to his teams defeat at the end of the game during final Mountain West Championship tournament game between San Diego State and Utah State on Saturday March 14, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nev.
“You don't want to blame fatigue, but I think we got back to our hotel at 12:30 last night,” Byrd said. “Three games in a row. Obviously they just looked like the more fresh team in the second half. When it came to winning time, they made more plays, got to the paint, dropped off to the big, dunks, lay-ups, offensive rebounds. They just made more winning plays than we did.”
San Diego State entered the Mountain West firmly on the bubble, but the hope (and belief) is that the Aztecs did just enough in Las Vegas this week to hear their names called on Selection Sunday. Still, by not clinching the conference’s automatic bid, Brian Dutcher’s crew is still going to have to sweat the afternoon out until their postseason plans become official.
Dutcher made his case for the Aztecs’ inclusion on the bracket on Sunday, explaining that the Mountain West’s parity should be looked at as a plus for the conference instead of something that detracts from teams who aren’t flawless in conference play.
“Mountain West was undervalued this year,” Dutcher said. “Seven teams with 20-plus wins, so the parity. I've said it all year, the parity has hurt our league this year. That's what every league wants is parity. So if you're in a Power Four, the parity is fantastic. Get 18, 19 teams in. But in the Mountain West, parity is not a good thing. There wasn't enough separation between the top."
