Busted: Aggies drop first BracketBusters game ever
Even though Meat Loaf once sang “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad,” I think the Aggies would have to disagree. After going more than two months without losing a game, USU lost its second within a week’s time Saturday, and has now lost two of its last three.
In front of a national audience for ESPNU’s BracketBuster weekend, the Aggies made a valiant comeback effort, but fell short to the Gael’s of Saint Mary’s, 75-64.
Despite a raucous sold-out crowd at the McKeon Pavilion, USU (25-3) stayed close to the Gaels and used a 6-0 run to pull out of an early 6-2 hole and take an 8-6 lead on a pull-up jumper by senior Gary Wilkinson.
Saint Mary’s (22-5) used a run of its own to regain the lead, but behind a Brady Jardine 3-point play and a Stavon Williams 3-pointer, the Aggies stayed close and looked to be in good position heading into the intermission.
Near the end of the half, however, costly turnovers hurt the Ags and spurred the Gaels on a 9-3 run over the final three minutes of the period. For the second week in a row, the Aggies headed into the half with a deficit in a hostile environment as they trailed 38-29.
In the second half, the Aggies needed to make a run to get back into the game and put the pressure back on Saint Mary’s. It was the Gael’s who would go on a run, though, extending the lead even more.
Behind the interior presence of Omar Samhan, the Gael’s would put USU in its biggest hole of the season. With 16:45 left in the game the Aggies found themselves on the wrong side of a 45-31 deficit.
Samhan finished the game with 17 points on 8-of-13 shooting, 12 rebounds and four blocks, but it was sophomore guard Mickey McConnel – Patty Mills’ replacement – who led the Gaels with a career-high 22 points.
On the verge of getting rolled over on the road, the Aggies would answer. Sparked by a Jared Quayle 3-pointer, the Ags went on a 9-2 run to cut the lead in half with more than 12 minutes to play.
Over the next few minutes the teams traded baskets and it seemed like the Aggies would not be able to pull any closer until Pooh Williams connected on a triple, cutting the lead to five, 58-53, with five minutes to play.
Aided by great defense and some Gael mistakes, the Ags seemed primed to make one more run, and when Quayle connected on an NBA-length 3-pointer that cut the lead to three with 2:06 left, it looked like USU was going to be able to pull off the comeback.
In the end, though, it was too little too late. Empty possessions down the stretch stymied the Aggie run and Saint Mary’s was able to make enough free throws to seal the game.
Quayle led the Aggies with 22 points on 8-of-14 shooting but also accounted for five of USU’s nine turnovers. Wilkinson was the only other Aggie to score in double figures, pumping in 16 points.
The Aggies were also uncharacteristically out-rebounded by 10, 33-23, as they struggled to match up inside with the Gael’s.
USU will now return to conference action this week when they host Hawaii Thursday at 7 p.m. A win against the Warriors would give the Ags the outright regular season conference championship, and guarantee them an automatic bid to the NIT tournament if they happen to miss the NCAA tournament.