Aztecs hang on, beat Utes
SALT LAKE CITY -- Malcolm Thomas scored a career-high 23 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to help San Diego State outlast Utah 70-68 on Tuesday.
Kawhi Leonard had 16 points and 11 rebounds and Kelvin Davis added 10 points as the Aztecs (14-5, 3-2 Mountain West) overcame late free-throw shooting woes and watched with relief as Carlon Brown's desperate 3-pointer clanged off the rim at the buzzer.
Brown scored 18 points, Luka Drca 15 and Marshall Henderson 14 for the Utes (9-9, 1-2), who trimmed a 12-point lead to 69-68 but didn't have enough time to get an open shot at the end.
The Aztecs made just 5 of 11 free throws in the final two minutes and were 10-for-23 for the game.
Despite giving up 6 inches to 7-foot-3 Utah center David Foster, Thomas made 10 of 17 shots to help San Diego State dominate the Utes with a 36-18 advantage in points in the paint.
AROUND THE NATION
• TENNESSEE TOPS 'BAMA -- Wayne Chism scored all 11 of his points in the final seven minutes as No. 8 Tennessee held on for a 63-56 victory over host Alabama, which managed one field goal in the final 3:30.
• PURDUE ENDS SKID -- JaJuan Johnson scored 24 points as No. 13 Purdue ended a three-game losing streak, beating host Illinois, 84-78. The Boilermakers, who trailed 32-28 at halftime, opened the second half with a 15-4 run, then held off the Illini.
• GEORGIA TECH STOPS CLEMSON -- Zachery Peacock made two free throws with 3.2 seconds remaining as No. 19 Georgia Tech knocked off 17th-ranked Clemson 66-64 in Atlanta.
• WICHITA STATE PREVAILS -- JT Durley had 19 points as host Wichita State defeated No. 20 Northern Iowa 60-51 to end the nation's second-longest winning streak at 15.
