How To Watch 2024 Mountain West Basketball Championship Game: New Mexico vs. San Diego State
Lobos vs. Aztecs playing in a high stakes game
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Who will cut down the nets?
The Mountain West title game features some lower seeds but do not mistake that for this championship game being of lesser teams.
San Diego State is a lock for the NCAA Tournament; while New Mexico looks to be fairly safe but with teams like Texas A&M upsetting Kentucky the Aggies are in the field and still playing in the SEC tournament.
San Diego State vs. New Mexico in the title game.
Who are you taking to win?
— Mountain West Wire (@MWCwire) March 16, 2024
The Lobos are the last team in for Joe Lundardi’s bracket and in BracketMatrix, the Lobos are an 11 seed but in just three-quarters of the brackets.
This can almost be considered a must-win for the Lobos if they want to make it to the NCAA Tournament.
For San Diego State, this is their seventh-straight Mountain West championship game — which is amazing.
While sitting next to https://t.co/bF7ayiN658's expert bracket prognosticator Kevin Sweeney (@CBB_Central) early Saturday after the Mountain West semifinals, I asked UNM coach Richard Pitino and Colorado State coach Niko Medved if the Lobos should be in the field of 68.… pic.twitter.com/iNSqNtWFrh
— Geoff Grammer (@GeoffGrammer) March 16, 2024
Game: No. 5 San Diego State vs. No. 6 New Mexico
Location: Thomas & Mack Center; Las Vegas, Nevada
Time: 6 p.m. ET, 3 P.M. PT
TV: CBS
Streaming: Paramount Plus or FuboTV (get a free trial)
Odds: San Diego State is favored by 2.5
How Did They Get Here?
San Diego State had a very physical game against Utah State and overcame a 34-19 first-half deficit to defeat Utah State, 86-70.
The slow start could be a concern and San Diego State knows that when they face New Mexico and move onto the NCAA Tournament.
“I think we just play smarter. We’re an aggressive team. We play aggressive on offense and defense,” said Aztecs guard Reese Waters, who finished with 11 points and five rebounds. “But just making smarter decisions and being on time. Especially in defense. If it’s help defense, you’re just on the ball, not reaching as much and just playing disciplined.”
🏀 Highlights from @Aztec_MBB's 86-70 win against Utah State in the #MWMadness semifinals#AtThePEAK | #GoAztecs pic.twitter.com/PK2N9XiUDI
— Mountain West (@MountainWest) March 16, 2024
San Diego State needs to come out faster if they want to clinch the automatic bid from the Mountain West and possibly earn a four-seed for the NCAA Tournament.
As for the Lobos, they had a double-digit win over, Colorado State 74-61 to advance to the title game.
New Mexico raced to an 11-0 lead and has won all three games of the conference tournament by double-digits.
Those fast starts are what New New Mexico needs later today in the title game.
“It did a lot. We knew we were going to come out really strong, and we did just that,” forward JT Toppin said. “And we knew we were going to have to execute on the offensive and defensive end.”
🏀 Highlights from @UNMLoboMBB’s 74-61 win against Colorado State in the #MWMadness semifinals#AtThePEAK | #GoLobos pic.twitter.com/ZfomqB9p6z
— Mountain West (@MountainWest) March 16, 2024
The one thing that goes against New Mexico is the short turnaround from the second semifinal game to the late afternoon tip time — anything for TV, I guess.
The Lobo players returned to their hotels around 12:30 a.m. local time and the game on Saturday tips at 3 p.m. in Las Vegas. That is a quick turnaround for rest and preparing for the game against a really, really good San Diego State team.
This is all due to the TV rights deal and the game getting played on over-the-air CBS, so this comes with trade offs.
