Field Level Media
Feb 8, 2020
KJ Feagin led four scorers in double figures with 21 points as No. 4 San Diego State held off a stiff test from host Air Force to remain undefeated, winning 89-74 on Saturday at Clune Arena in Colorado.
San Diego State (24-0, 13-0 Mountain West Conference) shot 55.8 percent from the floor and 51.9 percent from behind the 3-point line (14 of 27), riding its balanced offense to preserve the only unblemished record remaining in college basketball.
The win, which extended the Aztecs' best start in program history, did not come without a fight. Air Force (9-15, 3-9) was on a much different trajectory than San Diego State, with Saturday's loss marking the Falcons' sixth straight.
However, behind a game-high 23 points from Chris Joyce, Air Force kept pace with San Diego State for much of the night. Joyce sank a 3-pointer early in the second half that pulled the Falcons to within two points at 41-39.
Lavelle Scottie scored two of his 16 points on a put-back bucket after one of his 13 rebounds with 6:38 remaining that brought the score to 67-64. It was as close as Air Force came the rest of the way.
San Diego State extended its lead to as many as 17 points, going on a surge after a lengthy delay for an officials' video review. The Aztecs outscored the Falcons 17-10 over the ensuing 4:26, and finished the game on a 22-10 run.
Jordan Schakel joined Feagin in double figures with 18 points. Malachi Flynn scored 17 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished seven assists. Matt Mitchell went a perfect 3-of-3 from behind the 3-point line and finished with 16 points, complementing Feagin's 5-of-7 shooting from long range.
San Diego State began Saturday named one of the four No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Selection Committee's first in-season top 16 bracket reveal. The Aztecs' best seeding in program history is a No. 2, earned in 2011.
San Diego State opened that campaign 20-0, setting the mark for the program's best-ever start prior to this season.
--Field Level Media