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Men’s basketball to face BYU day before first meeting 80 years ago

No. 18/20 San Diego State men’s basketball and Brigham Young University have a long history that lasts decades upon decades.

From Tony Gwynn facing Danny Ainge in the late 1970s and early 80s to Kawhi Leonard squaring up against Jimmer Fredette in 2011, the Aztec-Cougar rivalry began when these two teams met for the first time on Dec. 19, 1940 — almost eight decades to the day the 74th meeting will take place on Friday at Viejas Arena.

Although the Cougars have won 48 of the 73 games played, SDSU has won the past four meetings, going all the way back to Leornard and Fredette’s final game against each other in the Mountain West Conference Tournament championship game.