What a start to the week for the Aztecs. After beating UCLA on Saturday in Anaheim, their week started with a big leap in the polls up to #17. They continued on Monday night with a complete victory at Viejas Arena against Texas Southern. The Aztecs jumped out to a great start leading 34-16 at halftime and holding the Tigers to 18% shooting. The Aztecs cruised to an easy victory rotating heavily allowing nine different players to play minutes into double figures.

Game notes:

Height advantage was crucial. The Tigers have three starters six feet tall or shorter. The Aztecs don’t have a single essential player less than six feet tall. The Aztecs used their height advantage to dominate Texas Southern. DeShawn Stephens had 13 points, Dwayne Polee had 10 points, and Jamaal Franklin pulled down an astounding 15 rebounds. Texas Southern could not match up from a height perspective and paid for it all night.

The 3-pointers continue to drop. While SDSU didn’t heave as many 3-pointers as they did against UCLA, they were certainly efficient with them. They shot an impressive 50% from the 3-point line. As long as they Aztecs continue to shoot a high percentage from behind the arc, they should have no problem continuing to win.

Franklin and Tapley drive the Aztecs. The Aztecs go as Jamaal Franklin and Chase Tapley go. Once again they led the team in scoring and are the keys to the offense. Two nights after locking down Shabazz Muhammad defensively and scoring 28 points, Franklin put up 18 points and 15 rebounds. This was his fourth double-double of the season. Tapley scored 16 points of his own, shooting 50% from both the field and the three-point line. With both of these players performing at a high level, the Aztecs offense is a force.