Aztec basketball bucked out of the MW tournament by the Rams, 71-63

Sports – The Daily Aztec CloseJunior guard Trey Kell grimaces in pain after a hard foul.Kelly Smiley, Photo EditorKelly Smiley, Photo EditorJunior guard Trey Kell grimaces in pain after a hard foul. Anthony Reclusado, Sports EditorMarch 11, 2017
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LAS VEGAS-The storyline has haunted them all season.
Even when it appeared they turned the page to a new chapter, it had a way to blow the pages back to that haunting chapter, like most horror movies do just when all seems too well for the protagonist.
The storyline: blown double-digit leads. The protagonist: the 2016-17 San Diego State men’s basketball team.
Once again, the Aztecs had to confront this nightmarish chapter in the Mountain West tournament semifinals against a team that gave new life to the storyline on both occasions during the regular season: Colorado State.
The nightmare took new form in this iteration, as SDSU saw its third 13-point lead evolve into a potential season ending loss, 71-63.
Now the Aztecs, who once touted a six-consecutive year trip to the NCAA tournament, will have to wait for a selection Sunday for a tournament they had to settle for last year, the National Invitation Tournament.
“We’re not going to play in anything other than the NIT, if we get an opportunity, and it probably won’t happen,” Fisher said. “But if it does, then definitely we will play in that.”
However, without an invitation to the NIT, the Aztecs are in place to snap a 12-year streak of postseason play and at least 20 wins in that same timeframe.
Perhaps the three games in three days, or the late starts, including this game’s 9:52 p.m. tipoff, played a role in the setback, but the narrative didn’t change. The Aztecs blew another lead and had a chance down the stretch to come out with the victory but poor shooting ...


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