Aztecs Snap No. 21 BYU's Win Streak

Brandon Heath scores 30 points and Mohamed Abukar adds 27 to lead San Diego State in 86-74 win.

Brandon Heath scores an easy layup as Brigham Young failed to defend. (AP Photo/Jack Smith)
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Feb. 24, 2007

Stats

SAN DIEGO (AP) - Brandon Heath scored 30 points and Mohamed Abukar had 27 to lead the San Diego State Aztecs to an 86-74 victory over Mountain West Conference leader Brigham Young on Saturday, ending the No. 21 Cougars' eight-game winning streak.

The defending conference champion Aztecs (20-8, 9-5) were inspired from the start, beginning with a reverse dunk by Jerome Habel off the opening tip and continuing with an 18-0 run that gave them a 22-4 lead.

Heath, the reigning MWC Player of the Year, scored 12 of the Aztecs' first 20 points, including a 3-point shot and a three-point play.

Jerome Habel had 12 and Lorrenzo Wade 10 for the Aztecs, who won for the seventh time in eight games.

BYU (21-7, 11-3 MWC) went almost seven minutes between field goals, and didn't reach double digits until Trent Plaisted made a three-point play with 9:26 left before halftime to make it 30-11.

That started a 9-0 BYU run.

SDSU avenged an 80-58 loss at BYU on Jan. 6, the Aztecs' worst defeat of the season. It came during a stretch when the Aztecs lost four of their first six MWC games.

The Aztecs have won consecutive games against ranked teams for just the second time since moving to Division I in 1970-71. SDSU beat Air Force, then ranked No. 15, 62-41 at home on Feb. 6. The only other time the Aztecs accomplished the feat was with wins against New Mexico and BYU in the 1987-88 season.

It was the first time the Aztecs had wins against two ranked teams in one month since beating San Francisco and Kansas in December 1978.

Overall, SDSU is 12-73 against ranked opponents.

Jonathan Tavernari made five 3-pointers in the second half and lead BYU with 18 points. Austin Ainge had 17 points, including five 3-pointers. Keena Young scored 16 and Plaisted 10.

San Diego led 61-40 midway through the second half before BYU whittled it down with a barrage of five 3-pointers by Tavernari and four by Austin Ainge.