Heartbreaker, Ags fall to Fresno 99-96 in double OT
Nate Harris’ 33 points and David Pak’s seven 3-pointers weren’t enough as the Utah State men’s basketball team lost 99-96 to Fresno State in double overtime in Fresno Saturday.
Cass Matheus had an opportunity to give the Aggies the lead with .8 seconds to play in regulation, but missed the first of a one-and-one free throw attempt sending the game to overtime tied 69-69.
After the teams were still tied 79-79 at the end of the first overtime, FSU took an 89-79 lead halfway through the second overtime. But USU mounted a comeback, led by 3-pointers from Pak, Jaycee Carroll and Harris and tied the game 96-96 with 17 seconds remaining on Harris’ shot from behind the arc.
But Ja’Vance Coleman hit a 3-pointer for the Bulldogs with four seconds left to give FSU the win.
Pak said USU didn’t give up when it went down 10 points with two minutes to play.
“Sometimes that happens in a game,” he said. “We hung in there and got back in the game. Unfortunately, we couldn’t come up with the stops to win the game.”
Harris’ 33 points and Pak’s 22 were both career highs.
“I wish I could say it felt good [to have a good game],” Pak said. “To lose a game like this – it sucks.”
Carroll finished with 14 points, although it was not a good shooting night for him. The sophomore, who averages 18.1 points a game while shooting 51.8 percent, shot only 5-of-13 from the field.
Chaz Spicer scored 12 points and Matheus had 10 points and seven rebounds. Harris led the Aggies with 12 boards, but the Bulldogs out-rebounded USU 50-41 for the game.
Utah State 67San Jose State 56
Harris scored 24 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead the Aggies to their first-ever win in the Western Athletic Conference 67-56 over the San Jose State Spartans in San Jose.
Carroll had 15 points and Spicer added nine points and six rebounds as USU never trailed in the game after giving up the first basket to SJSU.
Harris had 15 points in the first half to help the Aggies build an eight-point halftime lead at 34-26. Carroll scored 12 of his points in the second half as USU held off a couple Spartan rallies to hold onto the win.
The Aggies shot only 15.4 percent from 3-point range, but held SJSU to only 39.3 percent shooting from the field. USU also out-rebounded the Spartans 39-34.
Utah State 81Binghamton 48
Jaycee Carroll scored 20 points and Nate Harris added 17 as the Utah State men’s basketball team beat Binghamton 81-48 and won the Gossner Foods Classic for the 12th time.
Harris was named the tournament’s most valuable Player for the second year in a row.
Harris said he was pleased to win the award again.
“It let’s me know that I’m playing good basketball,” he said.
The Bearcats held their own against the Aggies for the first nine minutes of the game as USU only led 19-17 with 11 minutes to play in the first half. But the Aggies then went on a 21-0 run to put the game away by halftime.
Head coach Stew Morrill said he thought USU didn’t take Binghamton seriously at the start of the game.
“I didn’t think we started with enough oomph,” he said. “Once we got started, we didn’t play that badly.”
Cass Matheus led the Aggies with nine boards as USU out-rebounded the Bearcats 42-28.
Utah State 81Arkansas-Little Rock 47
Harris had as many points as the Trojans at halftime and finished with 23 as the Aggies dominated Arkansas-Little Rock from start to finish at the Gossner Foods Classic at the Spectrum.
After UALR tied the game 4-4, USU went on a 12-0 run to take a double-digit lead for good.
Harris said the Aggies’ size is why they won this game so easily.
“They started undersized post guys and we took advantage,” he said.
Carroll finish with 21 points, seven rebounds and eight assists and the Aggies out-rebounded their opponent 38-23.
Morrill was pleased with his team’s effort in this game.
“We took a step forward tonight,” he said. “Defensively, it was encouraging to me to see us alive. And we were active on the boards. We got to get better in those areas to compete in the WAC.”
USU shot 56.6 percent from the field while holding UALR to only 38 percent.
Utah State 91, BYU 80
Harris scored 27 points and Matheus added another 18 with 11 rebounds as the Aggies beat BYU for the fourth consecutive time 91-80 in the Spectrum.
USU opened up a 24-point lead early in the second half, but the Cougars were able to climb back in the game by shooting nine-of-12 from 3-point range after halftime. Rashaun Broadus and Brock Reichner combined for 47 points for BYU, but it wasn’t enough to come back.
BYU standout Trent Plaisted was nearly a non-factor, scoring only five points with two rebounds and four fouls while shooting only one-of-four from the free-throw line.
BYU was able to get within seven points of USU in the second half on two occasions, but poor free-throw shooting kept the Cougars from getting any closer.
With the Aggies leading 69-62, USU was called for a technical foul for having six men on the court. But Reichner missed both free throws and USU pushed its lead back to 12 points with 6:22 to play.
Then with the Aggies up 76-67, Lee Cummard made a lay-up and was fouled by Chris Huber to pull the Cougars to within seven again, but he missed his free throw.
Harris sealed the game in the final minute with two open dunks. On both plays, BYU was playing full court defense and left Harris all alone on the far end of the court.
Utah State 65Oral Roberts 64
David Pak scored 14 points in the first half, but saved his best two for last, hitting two free throws with 4.4 seconds to play to help the Aggies hold on to beat Oral Roberts 65-64 in the Spectrum.
USU led by 18 points just before halftime, but the Golden Eagle rallied in the second half to take a one-point lead with 31 seconds to play.
After Carroll missed a three-point shot with 13 seconds to play, the Aggies were forced to foul ORU player Eric Fowlkes who grabbed the rebound. Fowlkes missed the front end of a one-and-one foul shot and Pak then dribbled up the floor and was fouled by Eagle Larry Owens to set up the game-winning free-throw shots.
“We hung on for dear life,” Morrill said. “When it’s all over, it’s a W.”
Pak said his first thoughts at the foul line were of last season’s Pacific game where he missed two free throws that led to a USU loss.
“I didn’t want to let the team down or the fans down,” he said. “I’ve been practicing all year.”
His free throw shots were the first two he has attempted this season.
Ken Tutt scored 29 points for ORU including seven 3-pointers – four of them coming in the final 4:10 of the game.
USU was out-rebounded 43-30 in the game, giving up 21 offensive rebounds to the Golden Eagle.
“We couldn’t rebound the basketball,” Morrill said. “Every guy on the team has to make an effort. We have to get better at rebounding.”
Hawai’i 69Utah State 59
The Aggies shot a dismal 21.9 percent from the field in the second half Utah State fell to Hawai’i in its first-ever Western Athletic Conference game.
The Rainbow Warriors jumped out to an 11-point lead in the first half, but the Aggies recovered to lead 35-32 at halftime. But Hawai’i blocked nine shots in the game to stymie any second-half rally for USU.
“It would take us five or six games to block nine shots, they did it in one game, so that tells you how long and big and athletic they are,” Morrill said.
Carroll led the Aggies in scoring with 15 points. Harris had 12 points and eight rebounds and Matheus had 11 points.
Matt Lojeski had a game-high 20 points for the Warriors and Julien Sensley added another 19 points and seven rebounds.
Hawai’i out-rebounded USU 37-28.
Morrill said the Aggies have to get better at getting rebounds.
“What rebounding comes down to a lot of times is ability, concentration and effort,” he said. “Concentration on blocking out, and effort in terms of going and getting the ball. The energy factor is very important.”
Utah State 69Weber State 60
Jaycee Carroll scored a career-high 30 points as the Aggies beat in-state rival Weber State for the fourth consecutive time 69-60 at the Dee Events Center in Ogden.
Carroll shot 10-of-16 from the field and made five 3-pointers. Chaz Spicer also had 13 points and six rebounds and Nate Harris added another 10 points and seven boards. Durrall Peterson had a season-high nine rebounds.
Carroll’s 30 points were the most by an Aggie player since Cardell Butler scored 31 against Cal-State Fullerton on Feb. 21, 2004.
USU never trailed the Wildcats, opening a lead as big as 21 in the second half. But Morrill said the Aggies were never really in control.
Carroll said USU felt too comfortable with its big lead and almost let the Wildcats back in the game.
The Aggies held WSU to only 38.9 percent shooting from the field.
-bhhinton@cc.usu.edu
