The Utah State Aggies are now winning even when their head coach questions their effort.
"Tonight was the first night I felt like I was coaching effort, and I haven't had to do that in the first 15 games," Aggies head coach Jerrod Calhoun said after an 89-83 win at home over Fresno State.
"I mean it was ugly," Calhoun told The Deseret News. "That was an ugly game."
Utah State, now 14-1, 4-0, held onto its No. 1 ranking in this week's Nevada Appeal Mountain West men's basketball rankings with the win over No. 10 Fresno State (4-11, 0-4).
"I was a little concerned with this game after five days on the road," said Calhoun, whose Aggies nipped Nevada 69-64 at Lawlor Events Center on New Year's Eve. "There was a little fatigue. It was tough."
Ian Martinez's 16 points led the Aggies against Fresno State. Martinez also led his teammates with 17 at Nevada.
"It (against Fresno State) certainly wasn't our best outing, to say the least," Calhoun said.
No. 2 San Diego State (9-3, 2-1) did have to play one of its best games to knock off No. 3 Boise State, 76-68, on the road on Saturday. Miles Byrd led the Aztecs with 22 points.
"They are all going to be this way," San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher told goaztecs.com. "Look at Nevada. They've got four losses (in Mountain West play) and every one of them went right to the end."
San Diego State led just 58-57 with 6:54 to go before going on a pivotal 7-0 run to lead 65-57 with 4:38 left. Taj DeGourville (13 points) had two layups (one was a 3-point play) during the run.
"The crowd (at Boise) was standing up," San Diego State's Byrd said. "It was super loud in here. We called a time-out, and we were just like, 'Calm down. We got it.'"
Dutcher credited the victory to the Aztecs' 39-29 edge on the boards thanks to 15 offensive rebounds.
"To flip the script was nice," Dutcher said, "because that (rebounding) is how they usually beat us."
No. 4 New Mexico (12-3, 4-0) whipped Fresno State, 103-89, and needed a last-second shot by Nelly Joseph to beat Nevada, 82-81, in overtime last week. The Lobos have now won five games in a row and seven of their last eight.
The victory over Nevada was the 1,000th game at The Pit, the Lobos’ home arena since 1966.
"It certainly was a great way to hone a historic and amazing building," New Mexico coach Richard Pitino said on golobos.com. "The building is great, but it would be nothing without our unbelievable fans."
Nevada's (8-7, 0-4) four losses in Mountain West games have come by a combined 11 points. The last Nevada team to start out 0-4 in league play was the 1998-99 team which started 0-7 in the Big West on its way to a 4-12 conference record.
No. 6 UNLV (9-5, 3-0) beat No. 11 Air Force, 77-58, and No. 9 San Jose State, 79-73, last week. The Rebels led San Jose State, 71-54, with 7:21 to play before a 14-0 run by the Spartans made things interesting.
"We're going to focus on the concentration, effort and attention to detail that we had in those great possessions we had to build a good lead," UNLV coach Kevin Kruger told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
The Rebels have won four games in a row since losing four of five games from Nov. 28 to Dec. 17 against Mississippi State, Northwestern, Creighton and Dayton, all on the road.
"There's just so many good things we can take from this (the win over San Jose State) to continue to believe in each other and keep getting better," Kruger said.
No. 7 Wyoming (9-6, 2-2) outlasted Air Force, 70-65, on the road last Saturday in front of just 2,482 fans in Colorado Springs. Kobe Newton had an efficient 16 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the floor, 4-of-5 on threes and 4-of-4 from the line to lead the Cowboys.
Wyoming has won four of its last five games.
"If you don't like stress, then don't watch us," Wyoming coach Sundance Wicks told gowyo.com. "That's what Air Force does to teams. But understand it is a complex scout, and you just try to play the percentages."
The Nevada Appeal Mountain West men's basketball rankings for the week of Jan. 6:
1. UTAH STATE (14-1, 4-0): Last week: Utah State 69, Nevada 64 (Dec. 31); Utah State 89, Fresno State 83 (Jan. 4). This week: Utah State at San Jose State (Jan. 7); Boise State at Utah State (Jan. 11).
2. SAN DIEGO STATE (9-3, 2-1). Last week: San Diego State 76, Boise State 68 (Jan. 4). This week: Air Force at San Diego State (Jan. 8); San Diego State at New Mexico (Jan. 11).
3. BOISE STATE (11-4, 3-1): Last week: Boise State 67, Wyoming 58 (Dec. 31); San Diego State 76, Boise State 68. (Jan. 4). This week: UNLV at Boise State (Jan. 7); Boise State at Utah State (Jan. 11).
4. NEW MEXICO (12-3, 4-0). Last week: New Mexico 103, Fresno State 89 (Dec. 31), New Mexico 82, Nevada 81 (Jan. 3). This week: New Mexico at Wyoming (Jan. 7); San Diego State at New Mexico (Jan. 11).
5. NEVADA (8-7, 0-4). Last week: Utah State 69, Nevada 64 (Dec. 31); New Mexico 82, Nevada 81 (Jan. 3). This week: Nevada at Fresno State (Jan. 11).
6. UNLV (9-5, 3-0). Last week: UNLV 77, Air Force 58 (Dec. 31), UNLV 79, San Jose State 73 (Jan. 4). This week: UNLV at Boise State (Jan. 7); UNLV at Colorado State (Jan. 11).
7. WYOMING (9-6, 2-2). Last week: Boise State 67, Wyoming 58 (Dec. 31); Wyoming 70, Air Force 65 (Jan. 4). This week: New Mexico at Wyoming (Jan. 7).
8. COLORADO STATE (8-6, 2-1). Last week: Colorado State 72, San Jose State 50 (Dec. 31). This week: Fresno State at Colorado State (Jan. 7); UNLV at Colorado State (Jan. 11).
9. SAN JOSE STATE (7-9, 0-4). Last week: Colorado State 72, San Jose State 50 (Dec. 31), UNLV 79, San Jose State 73 (Jan. 4). This week: Utah State at San Jose State (Jan. 7); San Jose State at Air Force (Jan. 11).
10. FRESNO STATE (4-11, 0-4). Last week: New Mexico 103, Fresno State 89 (Dec. 31), Utah State 89, Fresno State 83 (Jan. 4). This week: Fresno State at Colorado State (Jan. 7); Nevada at Fresno State (Jan. 11).
11. AIR FORCE (3-11, 0-3): Last week: UNLV 77, Air Force 58 (Dec. 31), Wyoming 70, Air Force 65 (Jan. 4). This week: Air Force at San Diego State (Jan. 8); San Jose State at Air Force (Jan. 11).