MWC championship: San Diego State beats UNLV for Mountain West crown

LAS VEGAS — Kawhi Leonard scored 16 points, grabbed a career-best 21 rebounds and sank all eight of his free throws in the final two minutes as San Diego State fended off UNLV 55-45 to win the Mountain West Conference title Saturday.

The fourth-seeded Aztecs (25-8) earned the league's automatic NCAA bid, although third-seeded UNLV also burnished its NCAA credentials during the week.

The Runnin' Rebels (25-8) hope to join San Diego State, No. 8 New Mexico and No. 14 BYU in the field that's announced Sunday.

San Diego State upset New Mexico in the semifinals, the highest ranked team the Aztecs have ever beaten away from home, and sealed its fifth straight postseason berth — a first in the program's 89-year history — by outlasting the Runnin' Rebels.

Leonard, who averaged 9.5 rebounds in the regular season, finished with 39 rebounds in 72 hours and was named the tournament's most valuable player.