GAME NOTES: The San Diego State Aztecs try to cap off another successful regular season with a strong run in the Mountain West Conference Tournament, as they clash with UNLV in the quarterfinals of the 16th annual event on Thursday night at the Thomas & Mack Center.

As has been the case since the MWC spun off from the Western Athletic Conference the Aztecs, this year's second seed, was again one of the teams to beat. Nationally ranked at different points during the 2014-15 campaign, SDSU produced a record of 24-7 overall and was 14-4 in league play, but due to tiebreakers the Aztecs were placed behind Boise State in the seedings for this event.

As for the seventh-seeded Runnin' Rebels, winners of this event three times previously, but not since 2008, they started off this year's tourney on the right foot yesterday with a 67-46 pounding of in-state rival Nevada.

Along with New Mexico, the Aztecs have the most tournament titles with four, but in recent years the Lobos have been blocking SDSU from getting back into the winners circle. New Mexico has won the championship three straight years and two of those times have come against San Diego State.

The Aztecs, who have appeared in the finals of the event in five of the last six years, won in consecutive years (2010 and 2011) and enter this year's tourney with an all-time record of 21-11.

San Diego State won the first meeting of the regular season at Viejas Arena in the middle of January by a score of 53-47, and then repeated the feat just over a week ago in this same building, 60-58.

The winner of this meeting will be back in action on Friday in the semifinals taking on the survivor of the Utah State/Wyoming clash.

Christian Wood knocked down all but four of his 13 field goal chances and was 10-of-13 at the free-throw line for the Runnin' Rebels as they crushed Nevada in a battle of Silver State foes on Wednesday afternoon. Wood, who finished with 28 points, added seven rebounds and three blocked shots, while Goodluck Okonoboh rejected four shot attempts for the hometown favorites. Jordan Cornish tacked on 13 points off the bench for a UNLV squad that turned the ball over only six times.

Wood is still the only active double-digit scorer for the Rebels with his 15.6 ppg, as he tries to pick up some of the slack left by the injured Rashad Vaughn (17.8 ppg). Wood is also clearing 10.0 rpg and is tops on the unit with 90 blocked shots, two ahead of Okonoboh who is more than willing to be a role player if it means bottom line success for the program.

Claiming at least a share of the MWC regular season title for the fourth time in the last five years, the Aztecs are again a favorite to be competing for the tournament title. The Aztecs figure to be a contender, not because they can score a lot of points and blow out opponents, but because they play a ruthless defense that suffocates and tires foes as they extend from one end of the floor to the other, relentless in their pursuit of controlling tempo and the clock. Skylar Spencer may not be a household name with his 3.7 ppg, but thanks to 5.1 rpg and 78 blocked shots, he was named the MWC Defensive Player of the Year along with Wyoming's Larry Nance, Jr.

A First-Team All-MWC selection, JJ O'Brien (9.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg) brings a tenacity to the floor that translates to other SDSU members Winston Shepard (11.1 ppg, 5.1 rpg) and Aqeel Quinn (11.0 ppg), and should be a driving force in keeping SDSU in the running for another championship.

Based on the seedings the Aztecs are definitely the favorite in this meeting, but given the fact that UNLV lost by just two points in the most recent encounter, the Rebels might be able to pull off the unthinkable.