ALBUQUERQUE — Fans in The Pit spent the first five minutes standing, and the last five sitting.

The New Mexico faithful, as per tradition, didn't sit until San Diego State scored its first bucket, which came at after five minutes had wound off the clock.

But the 16th-ranked Aztecs controlled the final five minutes as they defied the altitude and raucous crowd with a 75-70 win.

Coming into Wednesday's Mountain West Conference game, SDSU (16-2, 2-0) and UNM (15-3, 1-1) represented two of the country's 13 teams that sported just two losses on the season.

Entering a two-game stretch against the top contenders for the Mountain West title, SDSU and UNLV, the Lobos came out of the gates ready to make a statement.

A lofty record doesn't mean much if you can't win at home in your own conference.

"It's a difficult week and it didn't start out well," said Steve Alford, UNM head coach. "Losing this one puts our backs up against the wall early."

The Lobos exploded out to 10-0 lead in the first five minutes and the bench did most of the work to keep the Lobos ahead in the first half.

Philip McDonald hit three 3-pointers, each to build the UNM lead after the Aztecs had trimmed it to less than four points. His 11 points in the first half were a team high, but he took nine shots, some forced over SDSU hands, to get them.

Meanwhile, Cameron Bairstow, the 6-foot-9 Australian sophomore, muscled his way to five rebounds in just nine minutes played in the first half.

But it was the Aztecs' guards and specifically Xavier Thames who kept SDSU in it early. His 13 first-half points came off three 3s to match McDonald's production.

Thames, who averages just over 11 points per game and had missed the last month of play because of injury, led the Aztecs in scoring with 22 points.

Although his role as primary scorer faded in the second half, his squad of guards found their stroke in the final 20 minutes.

Alford gave SDSU's guards all the credit for their victory because they were able to control the game despite UNM's size advantage in the post.

James Rahon, who scored 22 against UNLV last week, began to heat up with two 3s in the first eight minutes of the second half. He finished with 12 points and was matched by guard Chase Tapley.

SDSU head coach Steve Fisher knew how hard it would be to win in The Pit, and he knew how good his guards would have to play to accomplish that feat.

"It's hard to win anywhere," Fisher said. "It's doubly hard to win here in The Pit against a team that's won
13 straight."

The Aztecs regained the elusive lead with 11 minutes, 31 seconds left in the second half after LaBradford Franklin and Jamaal Franklin hit two more 3s to add to a 15-0 SDSU run. The Aztecs shot 9-for-20 from behind the arc.

Struggling to find any rhythm in the second half, the Lobos began to try to outshoot the Aztecs rather than beat them in the post.

"You take 30 3s in a game, you better make a bucket load of them," Alford said.

McDonald was UNM's biggest weapon from beyond the arc, hitting 6 of 9 and finishing with a team-high 20 points. Kendall Williams hit 4 of 7 and put up 15 points.

The Lobos willingness to settle for outside shots produced only seven trips to the free-throw line, where they only hit three.

"We didn't move, we didn't cut," McDonald said of his offense's 39 percent shooting night. "We have to create better than that especially against a great team like this."

The Lobos' 13-game winning streak ended at home to an SDSU team that Alford is just 3-7 against during his UNM career. It doesn't get easier this weekend as the Lobos will have to earn a win on UNLV's home floor.