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Maybe Utah State and San Diego State should come to an agreement before Saturday's showdown at Viejas Arena.

First team to 40 wins.

The Aggies and Aztecs are two of seven teams currently bunched within one game of first place in the Mountain West Conference. They remain in contention at the halfway point of the season because of defenses that are among the best in the league.

San Diego State ranks first in points allowed (53.6), first in field-goal-percentage defense (37.6) and second on three-point percentage defense (28.5).

Utah State is fourth in points allowed (62.2), second in field-goal percentage defense (38.4) and first in three-point percentage defense (28.2).

Using mostly an aggressive zone, the Aggie defense was at its best during Tuesday night's 56-44 victory over Wyoming, which entered the game with a 17-3 record.

The Cowboys shot 36 percent from the field — their worst performance of the season. They finished with their second-lowest point-total and committed 14 turnovers. Star forward Larry Nance Jr. scored 14 points, but he managed only six over the final 30 minutes.

"We played really hard and our defense was good," said coach Stew Morrill. "We were very active. … They had a tough shooting night [but] I think our defense was part of it."

Wyoming coach Larry Shyatt agreed.

"I thought Utah State whipped us in a lot of ways," he said. "But if I had to find one thing, their zone really hurt us. They were going to keep four people in the lane no matter what and dare us to play on the perimeter.

"They took away two things – the drive, as we couldn't get to the basket – and Larry Nance Jr. for a good bit of the game. I thought we did a good job when they went man-to-man. But there were a lot of possessions they were in the zone."

According to Morrill, Utah State has played "pretty comfortably" while winning three of its last four games, with the only loss coming in overtime at UNLV.

"… We'll see what happens at San Diego State," he said. "That's about as big a challenge as there is on the road in this league. But at least we're going in playing well."

The Aztecs are rolling, too.

They have won five of their last six games, bumping their record to 16-5 overall and 6-2 in the Mountain West.

San Diego State has won 26 straight at home. Along the way, it has limited opponents to 34 percent shooting and led wire-to-wire 19 times. Five victims have scored 39 points or less.

Nationally, the Aztecs rank third in points allowed per possession behind top-ranked Kentucky and No. 2 Virginia.

For Utah State, the keys to winning this game will be making shots and keeping San Diego State off the glass. The Aggies are -7.3 in rebound margin, although they outrebounded Wyoming, 32-28.

"Hallelujah," said Morrill. "How about that?" —

Utah State at San Diego State

O At Viejas Arena

Tipoff • 6 p.m. MST

TV • CBS Sports Network

Radio • 610 AM, 1280 AM, 95.9 FM, 102.1 FM

Records • USU 12-8, 5-3; San Diego State 15-4, 6-2

Series • Tied, 3-3

Last meeting • San Diego State, 73-39 (March 13, 2014)

About the Aggies • They have won three of their last four games. … They average 10.4 turnovers per game, which ranks 14th nationally. … Coach Stew Morrill's record in 17 years at Utah State is 396-151. … Their top scorers are sophomore F Jalen Moore (15.4), freshman C/F David Collette (13.3) and junior G Chris Smith (11.3).

About the Aztecs • They are 12-0 at home, where they have sold out 50 straight games. … Their top scorers are senior G Aqeel Quinn (10.9) and junior F Winston Shepard (10.6). … They already own wins over Utah (53-49) and BYU (92-87 in overtime). … They have won 135 consecutive games when leading with five minutes to play.