EditorsNote: 5th graf, change 16 points to 15 points, smaller tweaks elsewhere
Malachi Flynn scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half, powering a rally by No. 5 San Diego State for a 66-60 win over the Colorado State Rams in the Aztecs' home finale.
San Diego State (27-1, 16-1 Mountain West Conference) was coming off its first loss of the season, sustained Saturday against visiting UNLV.
That result after a program-record 26-0 start threatened to extend into a losing streak when Colorado State (19-11, 10-7) pushed a two-point halftime lead to as many as seven points with just over eight minutes left in the second half.
Nico Carvacho, who scored a team-high 17 points and grabbed seven rebounds, set the tone for Colorado State as it took the lead. The Rams played a physical brand of basketball, particularly on the defensive end, where they held, Flynn, San Diego State's season-long leading scorer, to just two points through the first half.
Matt Mitchell buoyed San Diego State through the first 20 minutes with 13 of his 15 points. The Aztecs shot just 35.7 percent from the floor before intermission.
In the second half, Flynn came alive to help ignite a 13-0 Aztecs run. His 3-pointer with 3:09 remaining gave San Diego State a 62-56 edge, its biggest lead since 11-4 less than three minutes into the game.
The Aztecs did not score again until Mitchell sank two free throws with nine seconds remaining, his only points in the second half. Flynn added two points at the line with two seconds left.
Despite the late offensive cold spell, San Diego State's defense locked down the Rams over the final three minutes, allowing just four points. Colorado State shot just 28 percent from the floor in the second half, going 1 of 10 from behind the 3-point arc and committing eight turnovers.
Like Flynn, San Diego State guard Jordan Schakel did not begin to heat up until the second half. He scored all 11 of his points after halftime.
Isaiah Stevens scored 12 points for the Rams.
--Field Level Media
