LAS VEGAS, Nev. — That bubble the San Diego State University Aztecs have been sitting on this week doesn't seem so fragile this morning.

The big and burly Aztecs helped their chances to get into the NCAA Tournament field with a bruising win over No. 8 ranked and Mountain West Conference regular season champ New Mexico 72-69.

There has been considerable speculation that the Aztecs might be one of the teams left out on Selection Sunday. Now, San Diego State is within a win of an automatic bid after ending the Lobos' 15-game winning streak.

"We've added to the résumé, no question about it," said Aztecs head coach Steve Fisher.

San Diego State can point to the fact they beat the Lobos twice this season and New Mexico needed overtime in The Pit for its win.

Fisher wasn't willing to speculate on his team's chances if they don't win the MWC Tournament. New Mexico head coach Steve Alford didn't have any trouble making the case for backing the Aztecs' cause.

"We're 29-4, our RPI going into this game was six," Alford said. "We've won 10 road games, we'd won 15 in a row, we've been in the Top 10 in the country for the better part of three weeks. We've lost four games and two of them have been to San Diego State. There's no doubt in my mind they are one of the teams that should be in this tournament."

The Aztecs, playing like a team facing elimination from March Madness, scored the game's first 11 points. They hit their first four 3-pointers and had the Lobos on their heels before many of the New Mexico fans were still trying to negotiate the traffic jam on Tropicana Boulevard.

Alford said before the game the Aztecs, with their imposing frontline of 6-foot-8 Billy White, 6-9, Malcolm Thomas and 6-7 freshman Kawhi Leonard, were a tough matchup for the Lobos. Alford wasn't blowing smoke.

White proved to be too much of a load for New Mexico's defenders, particularly senior Roman Martinez. Spotting White a couple of inches and 50 pounds, Martinez could not keep White from getting inside. It was White's five straight points late in the game that erased a 64-62 New Mexico lead.

New Mexico has already locked up a high seed in the NCAA, but the Lobos will have to wait to try to get their 30th win of the season.

The loss was the first for the Lobos this season in games decided by six points or less. They were 12-0 in such games and had a chance to keep the streak going after Aztec point guard D.J. Gay missed a 3-pointer with 11.5 seconds left and San Diego State up 70-69.

The Aztecs and everyone else in the Thomas & Mack Center knew the Lobos would get the ball into point guard Dairese Gary on that final possession.

Gary got the inbounds pass, raced up the court and got to the basket. He appeared to lose the handle momentarily, but still managed to get off his shot. He missed.

Leonard was fouled by the Lobos' A.J. Hardeman and after the officials put back .07 of a second on the clock, Leonard hit both free throws.

Gary has delivered clutch baskets for the Lobos all season and has been their most consistent free-throw shooter.

The Aztecs knew that and were willing to do all they could to keep the ball out of Gary's hands, even if that meant having to contend with the conference Player-of-The-Year, Darington Hobson.

"That's the chance we took," Gay said. "We tried to get the ball out of his (Gary's) hands. We wanted to make Hobson make a play. Gary is their best penetrator. He can get to the basket at will. He willed his way to the basket. He had the strength and will to get his shot off."

"I knew we only had like seven seconds," Gary said. "It was to get the ball and go and weave and out. The ball got loose. I didn't know how much time was left. I grabbed it and tried to put it in. It didn't go."

The flip side of the loss is that the Lobos will have plenty of time to rest and get ready for the first round. The loss likely cost the Lobos a No. 2 seed, but they are a sure bet to get the highest seed in school history.