Franklin leads No. 24 SDSU to 74-66 win over CSU
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Jamaal Franklin matched his career high with 31 points and added a career-high 16 rebounds for No. 24 San Diego State, which beat Colorado State 74-66 on Saturday night to pull into a tie for first place in the Mountain West Conference with No. 18 New Mexico and No. 21 UNLV.
Franklin scored 13 of SDSU's final 16 points in the last 4:25.
Xavier Thames scored all 15 of his points in the second half and James Rahon had 14 as the Aztecs (22-6, 8-4) picked up their intensity and avenged one of their more painful losses of the season. CSU routed SDSU by 17 points on Jan. 28, ending the Aztecs' 11-game winning streak and beginning a stretch in which they lost four of six.
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Franklin matched the 31 points he scored against UC Davis on Nov. 13. His previous rebounding high was 11, which he accomplished twice earlier this season.
The Rams (17-10, 6-6) were coming off a home upset of New Mexico, which has lost two straight.
With the Aztecs leading by four, Chase Tapley picked up a loose ball and passed it to Franklin, whose emphatic slam dunk gave SDSU a 65-59 lead with 2:30 left. Thames followed with a jumper on SDSU's next possession for an eight-point cushion.
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Wes Eikmeier and Dorian Green scored 14 apiece for the Rams. Pierce Hornung had 11.
Colorado State outhustled the Aztecs in taking a 34-30 halftime lead, but San Diego State finally matched the effort early in the second half. With CSU leading 36-32, Franklin made a jumper and Thames then made three straight baskets. Thames' layup put SDSU ahead 38-36, its first lead since 3-2 in the opening minutes. Hornung made a reverse layup to tie it before Thames again gave SDSU the lead with a jumper.
SDSU had a four-point lead until Eikmeier hit a long 3-pointer. Rahon responded with a 3 to extend SDSU's lead back to 49-45.
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Colorado State took a 52-51 lead on Jesse Carr's 3 with 8:10 to go before SDSU regained the lead for good on Thames' floater.
Colorado State took its first-half lead by waiting for open shots and dominating on the boards.
The Rams led 21-12 midway through the opening half. The Aztecs went on an 8-0 run to pull within a point but couldn't get the lead. Hornung made a layup and converted a three-point play to extend CSU's lead to 26-20. CSU's final two baskets of the half were off offensive rebounds, the first by Will Bell and then Hornung, who tipped the ball twice before it went in.
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Rahon kept the Aztecs close with two 3-pointers in the final minute.