The San Diego State Aztecs pulled off a couple of upsets by defeating both BYU and UNLV in their first two conference games at Cox Arena. The Aztecs went 0-5 against these two schools last year, and that was with a team that included three fifth-year seniors and one all-conference freshman. Without any of those players on this year’s roster, the prospect of beating one, let alone both, of these teams was not particularly good.

In what is becoming all-too typical fashion, the Aztecs fell behind early and trailed by as many as 9 points in the first half. But shortly before the half, the Aztecs came alive, forced a couple of turnovers, and Wesley Stokes went end-to-end on the last play for a layup in heavy traffic to pull the Aztecs within 2 points. This was the sixth straight game in which the Aztecs have trailed at halftime. The Aztecs have come back to win three of them.

Solid defensive play helped keep the Aztecs close. They held BYU Center Rafael Araujo to 0 points in the first half. Araujuo is leading the Mountain West Conference in scoring with 20 points per game. NBA scouts, including Jerry West, were on hand to watch Araujo’s play. Hopefully they took at good look at the Aztecs’ Aerick Sanders. Sanders is 2 inches shorter and 70 lbs. lighter than Araujo but did an excellent job of keeping him out of the paint and disrupting his shot. Sanders finished with 18 points, while Araujo had 12.

Poor shooting has been another problem for the Aztecs this season but they still found a way to win. BYU shot 40% from the field and 88% from the stripe. The Aztecs only managed 38% from the field and 64% on free throws. Ultimately, turnovers were the key. BYU committed 17 turnovers which led to 27 points for the Aztecs. Conversely, the Aztecs turned the ball over just 7 times that resulted in 8 points for the Cougars.

After the thrill of beating BYU on Monday, it was hard to predict which San Diego State team would hit the floor against UNLV. Would it be the team that played with a lot of heart that found a way to win against BYU or would it be the team that got out-hustled by Saint Mary’s?

Thankfully it was a confident, in-control and better shooting Aztec squad that showed up against UNLV. They even managed to take a small lead by halftime. Aerick Sanders led all scorers with 23 points. Freshman Brandon Heath was back in the starting lineup and finished with 21 points and 3 steals. Wesley Stokes also had an excellent game. He demonstrated good decision-making and leadership as he ended up with 10 points and 7 assists. Stokes currently leads the MWC in both steals and assists.

UNLV is loaded with transfers who are making an immediate impact his year. Odartey Blankson transferred from Marquette and led UNLV with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Jerel Blassingame and Romel Beck both transferred from L.A. City College and play key starting roles for the Rebels. And as always, UNLV is one of the most athletic teams in the conference. As a team, they shot 52% from the field and made 77% of their free throws. But it was the 22 turnovers, 10 more than the Aztecs, which was the downfall for UNLV. The Aztecs came up with 12 steals, which tied their MWC high.

Last season, the Aztecs got off to a 2-0 conference start by defeating Air Force on the road and then Utah at home. But they lost six of the next seven games and buried any hopes of making the NCAA tournament. This year’s Aztecs must now take the road against Colorado State and Wyoming. This road trip may well determine whether the Aztecs can contend for the conference championship this year or whether they’re still a year away from reaching that level. All told, the Aztecs have to be pleased with early victories over BYU and UNLV, and they hope to surprise the rest of the conference in the weeks to come.