No.5 San Diego State rallies from 14-point deficit to stun Boise State on a last-second three 67-65

Brian Losness-USA TODAY Sports

San Diego,CA- The No.5 San Diego State Aztecs rallies from 14-point deficit to stun the Boise State Bronco’s on a last-second three 67-65 Wednesday night. With his fifth-ranked team trailing by one in the games final seconds, when Aztecs senior point guard  Xavier Thames who everyone assumed was going to take the final shot until he found Dwayne Polee II wide open as he drained a 3-pointer with 4 seconds left to give the Aztecs the come from behind win.

The Aztecs started the game with the lead as Xavier Thames drained a three to give the Aztecs the lead 3-0. That’s as long as the Aztecs would have the lead as Boise State led the final 18 minutes of the first half on their way to a 42-33 halftime lead. Boise State could’t miss in the first half as they were 15-for-24 from the field and 5-11 from three.

The 2nd half didn’t start any better for the Aztecs as Boise State lead the first 15 of the second half with their leading growing to as much as 14 points as Bropleh knocked down a 3-pointer to give the Broncos a 57-43 lead with 13:37 to play. With the deficit up to 14 and the Aztecs 18-game winning streak in jeopardy, the Aztecs number one ranked defense finally woke up, holding Boise State to only made one field goal for 11 minutes and allowing the Aztecs to go an a 18-2 run to regain the lead 61-59 with 4 minutes left in the game. Boise State would retake the lead at in the games final minutes after two free throws and a layup from Thompson and a basket from Marks. Thames would make one of the biggest plays of the game as with the Bronco’s up  65-62, Thames stole the inbound pass and hit two free throws after being fouled to cut the lead to 65-64 and set up  Dwayne Polee II’s game winning three.

Thames said after the game that he was very close to taking a shot that would have tied the score. But at the very last second, he changed his mind.

“I had a pretty decent look, but I saw DP out of the corner of my eye,” Thames said. “I was going to shoot a floater but (Ryan) Watkins was going to contest it. Then I saw (Anthony) Drmic sink down. It was on the tip of my fingers (to shoot). It was pretty close.”

Thames finished with 23 points for the Aztecs. San Diego State improves to (20-1, 9-0 Mountain West) on the season

The past six meetings between the schools have been decided by six or fewer points. San Diego State eliminated Boise State from the past two conference tournaments and won 69-66 last month in San Diego.

“That was a tough, gutty character-type game for us,” Fisher said. “We stayed with it and found a way to win.”