San Diego State came in to Wednesday night's game with the defensive reputation, but Utah turned the tables on the Aztecs with a stellar defensive second-half performance, leading to a 67-55 victory at the Huntsman Center.
The Utes overcame a four-point halftime deficit by holding the Aztecs to 28-percent shooting in the second half and helped force 18 turnovers in the game.
With the victory, the Utes take over sole possession of first place at 8-2 in the Mountain West Conference and improve to 17-7 on the season. This marks the first time since the end of the 2005 season that the Utes have been all alone in first place in the MWC.
"We're back up top and I'm excited about it," said Lawrence Borha, who scored all 11 of his points in the first 11 minutes of the ballgame. "To be in first place is great for us. We haven't been in first place since I've been here.
"This was a big win for our program and what we're trying to build here," added Ute coach Jim Boylen.
Shaun Green led the Utes with 21 points and 10 rebounds in what Boylen called Green's "best-ever game" since Boylen became coach. Luke Nevill, who was plagued with foul trouble much of the game, finished with 12 points, but had just three rebounds, while Luka Drca and Tyler Kepkay each scored eight.
With the pressure of first place on the line and the inside track to the MWC title, the Utes came out
"splintered" according to Boylen. The Utes missed at least a half dozen layups and several wide-open 3-pointers much to the chagrin of the 9,782 fans.
But after going into halftime trailing 33-29, the Utes came out with a vengeance in the second half.
Utah held the Aztecs without scoring for nearly six minutes to grab the lead at 35-33 and after SDSU came back to take a brief lead at 40-38. the Utes scored seven straight to take a 45-40 lead with 8:17 left.
The Utes were leading just 46-44 after a Wade basket with 6:50 left when Drca knocked down a 3-pointer from the right side to extend the lead to five. Drca, who missed badly on a three earlier 3-pointers, came right back and swished another trey to make it 52-45 and the Aztecs never got closer than seven.
"I thought our defense the first 12 or 14 minutes of the second half was as good as it's been," Boylen said. "I thought we came out of halftime with a deeper sense of urgency and more focused. I thought we were the aggressors on both ends in the second half and we have to play that way."
In a 72-63 SDSU victory in San Diego last month, the Aztecs only committed six turnovers, but had 18 Wednesday night, the most for a Ute opponent all season.
"The game was the opposite of our game in San Diego," said SDSU coach Steve Fisher.
"(In San Diego) we had a huge disparity in points off turnovers and tonight we were the victims of turning the ball over to Utah. They were the opportunistic team tonight."
In the first half, the lead changed hands 12 times before the Aztecs broke away late in the half with an 8-0 run to go up 31-24. During the run, Nevill was called for two offensive fouls, Kepkay and Carlon Brown both missed layups and Green misfired on a 3-pointer.
But Green hit a pair of free throws and then sank an NBA-length 3-pointer to pull the Utes within four at the half.
The Aztecs, who made just 7 of 25 field goals in the second half were led by Kyle Spain's 18 points and 15 from Lorrenzo Wade.
"This league is good," said Fisher. "Nobody needs to be ashamed when you drop one at Utah. And yet you're very disappointed when you think you could win one."
The Utes stay home this weekend for a Saturday game against Air Force at 2 p.m., while the Aztecs play Wyoming at home.
E-mail: sor@desnews.com
Utah 67
San Diego St. 55
Utah 67, SDSU 55 FG FT SDSU Min M-A M-A RB A PF PTSpain 32 5-16 6-7 4 1 1 18White 27 2-2 0-0 2 0 5 4Amoroso 25 1-4 1-2 8 0 4 3Williams 29 2-8 1-2 4 2 4 5Gay 27 1-4 0-0 3 1 1 3Thomas 9 0-1 0-0 3 2 1 0Shelton 13 2-4 2-2 1 0 4 7Wade 28 6-9 3-7 2 2 2 15Cheriet 10 0-0 0-0 3 0 2 0Totals 200 19-48 13-20 35 8 24 55 FG FT UU Min M-A M-A RB A PF PTTillie 19 0-2 3-4 8 3 2 3Nevill 31 3-7 6-9 3 0 4 12Drca 31 3-8 0-1 1 4 3 8Borha 24 4-6 1-1 2 1 3 11Brown 26 1-5 2-4 1 2 2 4Tavita 7 0-0 0-0 0 0 1 0Green 31 7-11 4-5 10 2 1 21Kepkay 31 2-9 2-2 1 1 2 8Totals 200 20-48 18-26 31 13 18 67 PCT: SDSU, FG .396, FT .650; UU, FG .417, FT .692. 3PTS: SDSU 4-13 (Spain 2-5, Amoroso 0-1, Gay 1-3, Shelton 1-3, Wade 0-1), UU 9-21 (Drca 2-6, Borha 2-4, Green 3-6, Kepkay 2-5). BLK: SDSU 0, UU 6 (Nevill 4, Borha, Green). TO: SDSU 18 (Spain 4, White 2, Amoroso 2, Williams 3, Gay 3, Thomas, Shelton, Wade, Cheriet), UU 12 (Nevill 4, Drca, Borha 2, Brown 2, Green, Kepkay 2). STL: SDSU 8 (Spain 2, Amoroso, Williams 3, Thomas, Cheriet), UU 9 (Tillie, Drca 3, Borha 2, Green 3). A: 9,782. Officials: David Hall, Eric Curry, Chris Rastatter.