Spectrum magic = 17-0
Perfection.
That is what the Aggies accomplished Monday night in the Spectrum by beating the Fresno State Bulldogs, 79-66, to finish the season with a 17-0 home record.
It was only the fourth time since the 1957-58 season an Aggie team has achieved that.
“That was awesome that we were able to protect our home court,” said senior guard Jaycee Carroll, who had a 33-point performance and was one of three seniors honored before the game.
It was those same Bulldogs who came into the Spectrum last year and spoiled Senior Night by picking up a 71-66 victory over the Aggies. It was the last time an opponent has come into the Spectrum and won.
Senior big man Stephen DuCharme, who was also honored before the game, said he couldn’t have been more pleased with his last performance in the Spectrum.
“I have enjoyed it here,” said DuCharme, who scored 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting. “I love the fans, and I couldn’t ask for anything more out there.”
Carroll agreed with DuCharme.
“That was a good way to finish,” Carroll said. “The biggest thing was that we won.”
The win came in large part to Carroll and DuCharme as the Aggies (10-4 in Western Athletic Conference action, 21-9 overall) were able to jump out to an early lead. They held onto it for the entire game.
In the first three minutes of the game, Carroll hit three 3-pointers to go along with a couple of DuCharme baskets to propel the Aggies to a 13-7 lead. The lead was extended to 29-10 for Utah State with 8:47 left in the half.
Carroll scored 17 of his game-high 33 points in the first 20 minutes of play. For the night, the senior ended up shooting 10-of-18 from the field, including 6-of-11 from beyond the arc.
“I just came out excited to play and made some shots at the beginning,” Carroll said.
The Bulldogs refused to quit. Behind the play of point guard Kevin Bell, they went on a 20-9 run to get to within 37-30 with a minute left in the first half. Bell finished with 31 points on 13-of-19 shooting.
“They kept battling. We had no answer for Bell,” Aggie head coach Stew Morrill said. “We have had no answer for him for several years now.”
Fresno State started the second half the same way they ended the first. The visitors went on a 6-1 run to pull to within five points at 41-36 with 18 minutes remaining. The Aggies were not about to let up in front of a sellout Spectrum crowd and used a 10-0 run to put Fresno State down by 15 points at 51-36 with 14:43 to play.
A last run by Fresno State got them to within seven points at 66-59 with 4:53 left to play, but it was as close as they would get as the Aggies controlled the game the rest of way.
“There are lots of positives,” Morrill said. “I didn’t think we played great, but it’s a good win.”
The win moves the Aggies one step closer to winning the WAC’s regular season title.
“We just got to get these next two games on the road, and then we’ll be on top of the WAC,” DuCharme said.
Easier said than done.
Boise State is currently atop the WAC standings with a 12-3 conference record, including a 7-1 record at home. In order for the Aggies to win the WAC, they have to beat the Broncos Thursday night in Boise and then defeat Idaho on the road Saturday night.
“It should be a fun game,” Carroll said of Thursday’s game at Boise State.”There’s a lot on the line. It should be a good game.”
Morrill said the Aggies need to relish this opportunity and be grateful they have a chance to win the league.
-sam.bryner@aggiemail.usu.edu
“As I told our players, when we started way back in October, if somebody would have said you get down to the last two games in the league and have a chance to win the league, we would have all taken that,” Morrill explained. “It doesn’t matter what the games are. We would have all taken that.”
-sam.bryner@aggiemail.usu.edu