Midway through the first half at Viejas Arena, Matt Mitchell got popped in the mouth fighting for a rebound with Max Rice, the son of Boise State coach Leon Rice. He winced, shook his head and walked to the bench for medical attention.
But the real punch in the mouth Thursday night was in the more metaphorical sense, thrown by San Diego State early and connecting with the entire Broncos team.
The Aztecs won Round 1 of the showdown for first place in the Mountain West, building a 17-point lead and then hanging onto the ropes for a 78-66 victory in overtime that, when you factor the two forfeits against New Mexico, puts them alone in first place for the first time all season.
It also, barring disaster, figures to secure an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament.
It was close, and it probably shouldn’t have been after the way SDSU and Boise State played for the first 30 minutes. (Well, and not so well).
And it wasn’t close in overtime, after the Aztecs (18-4, 12-3) made their first four shots for a 72-65 lead they never relinquished.
But, oh, was it hairy down the stretch of regulation, after a 14-0 run got the Broncos (18-5, 14-4) back in the game just when you wondered whether the hosts would win by 20 or 25.
The Aztecs led by three with 1:24 to go, thanks to a perfectly executed sideline inbounds play that got Mitchell a three-point play. And they were still up by one with 28 seconds left after a pair of free throws from Derrick Alston Jr., who finished with 29 points and was the only Broncos player the vaunted SDSU defense simply couldn’t stop.
Then it really got crazy. The Aztecs turned it over on the baseline inbounds. Then the Broncos turned it over right back.
Two free throws by Mitchell got it to three again, only for RayJ Dennis to make his only 3 of the game and tie it with 9.3 seconds left. The officials spent several minutes reviewing whether his right foot was on the line but couldn’t find enough conclusive evidence to overturn.
The Aztecs figured to get the last shot, except Mitchell barreled into a defender and was called for a charge with two seconds left.
That was enough time for Dennis to launch a half-court heave that hung in the air forever before bouncing off the backboard.
Into overtime they went.
The Aztecs re-inserted Nathan Mensah, who watched most of the final 10 minutes from the bench, with the hopes of winning the tip, as he had to start the game. He did again, and Mitchell quickly scored inside.
Then Jordan Schakel, quiet all night, made his first basket — a 3 from the left side.
Then Mitchell scored inside again.
Then Trey Pulliam made a floater in the lane, and the Broncos were corralled for good.
That gave Pulliam 18 points for the second time in three games, equaling his Div. I career high from last season. Mitchell finished with 24 points and nine rebounds while playing the overtime with four fouls. Terrell Gomez (10 points) was the only other Aztecs player in double figures on a night when SDSU was 6 of 19 behind the arc.
Another key: 18 of 21 at the line.
Another: Holding the Broncos to 36.4 shooting and allowing them to shoot only 10 free throws.
Yet another: Winning the battle of boards 44-30 after it being a point of emphasis following two shaky efforts at Fresno State last week.
SDSU jumped to leads of 13-2, 24-11, 27-14 and 29-17 at the half when Pulliam rebounded his own miss and beat the buzzer with a baseline jumper.
The defensive game plans, in many respects, were the opposite of each other.
SDSU gapped up and clogged the paint, going under screens in hopes of coaxing the Broncos to shoot from deep. They took the bait, missed their first eight behind the arc and were 3 of 17 at the half. Twelve first-half turnovers didn’t help, either.
Boise State, meanwhile, didn’t want the Aztecs hoisting 3s, refusing to help off the shooters and essentially turning it into a two-on-two game with Mensah setting ball screens for Pulliam at the top. The Aztecs were 2 of 8 behind the arc in the first half, and that included one by Pulliam, who rarely shoots them.
Gomez finally made one late in the half. Schakel, the other SDSU starter who ranks among the top 10 of active Division I players in 3-point accuracy, attempted only one shot in the opening 20 minutes and it wasn’t a 3.
But just like he did last week when Fresno State employed a similar defensive strategy, Pulliam made the Broncos pay. He had nine of SDSU’s first 15 points and had 11 by halftime on nine shots — more than he’s attempted in all but five games this season.
The margin grew to 17 early in the second half, and it was still 15 when the Aztecs grabbed two offensive rebounds on a possession and ended up with free throws. That seemed to be the final blow.
But then all those 3s that weren’t falling for the Broncos started falling, particularly by Arizona transfer Emmanuel Akot. He had three 3s during the 14-0 run (and didn’t score the rest of the game), and with seven minutes to go, it was a one-point game.
The Aztecs had a chance to extend their lead to five with 2:28 left, but Keshad Johnson missed the front end of a one-and-one, and Alston drained a step-back 3 from well behind the line to tie it at 58.
