The Air Force Falcons face a big test on Saturday afternoon when they take on a talented San Diego State Aztecs team. The Aztecs have lost two straight games for the first time in over a year, and will be focused on avoiding their first three-game losing streak in four years. Head coach Steve Fisher is a candidate for coach of the year honors, but he may have to try and stop the skid without leading scorer Jamaal Franklin, who is questionable after suffering a sprained ankle on Wednesday.
The Falcons responded under interim head coach Dave Pilipovich and broke a seven-game losing streak by knocking off the Wyoming Cowboys on Wednesday. The Falcons are led by a trio of juniors -- Michael Lyons (15.4 PPG, 4.2 RPG), Mike Fitzgerald (10.7 PPG, 3.7 RPG) and Taylor Broekhuis (9.2 PPG, 5.0 RPG). Air Force has struggled on offense for most of the season, and has now gone eight straight contests without reaching 63 points.
The Aztecs get their scoring from junior guard Chase Tapley and sophomore guard Jamaal Franklin, who average 15.8 and 16.0 points per game, respectively. The other big name to watch is Xavier Thames, the team's leading assist man with 4.7 per game. Here is the information you need to find the game on Saturday:
Air Force Falcons (12-11, 2-7) vs. No. 15 San Diego St. Aztecs (20-5, 6-3)
Game date, time: 2:00 PM MT, Saturday, Feb. 18, 2012
Location: Clune Arena, Colorado Springs, CO
TV: NBC SN
For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Denver. For more in-depth coverage of this matchup, head over the MWC blog Mountain West Connection. And for news and notes from around college hoops, visit SB Nation's NCAA basketball news hub.