Ags thump LBSU 95-61
After playing two straight nailbiter-type games, the Utah State men’s basketball team made sure the only drama in Saturday’s game against Long Beach State was if USU walk-on K.C. Comadena would score.
USU made quick work of Long Beach State as all 13 Aggie players saw playing time in USU’s 95-61 drubbing of LBSU Saturday night in the Spectrum.
With the victory, Utah State (18-6 overall, 9-4 in Big West Conference play), remained a game behind conference leader UC Santa Barbara (13-10, 10-3). The Gauchos picked up a 67-58 road win over Cal State Northridge on Saturday.
“There were a lot of positives [tonight],” said Aggie Head Coach Stew Morrill. “Guys can gain a little confidence when they get some minutes.”
Getting playing time for USU’s reserves was not a problem, as the Aggies put the game out of reach early in the second half. As a result, the Aggie bench was able to score a season-high 40 points.
Two Aggies who posted big performances off the bench were forward Cardell Butler and center Mike Puzey. After suffering through a horrific game against UC Irvine (zero points), Butler dropped in 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting against the 49ers, while Puzey corralled a game-high 10 rebounds.
Saturday’s game was especially satisfying for Puzey, who played more than 20 minutes in a game for the first time since USU’s Dec. 7, 2002 contest against Jackson State. However, the reason it was satisfying had more to do with the way the Aggies responded from Thursday’s loss to the Anteaters, Puzey said.
“After a loss like that, there’s two things that could happen,” he said. “We could either bag it up and say, ‘oh, poor us,’ or we could put our shoulder to the wheel and push along.
“It was just a great win for us — to come back from a tough loss,” he said.
Morrill agreed, and credited much of USU’s success to the team’s willingness to recover from Thursday’s loss by practicing hard on Friday.
“Yesterday, I was really encouraged, because we practiced positively and our energy was up, and we weren’t feeling sorry for ourselves,” he said. “So, I thought we’d come out and be OK tonight.”
The Aggies certainly came out with a lot of energy in the first half, especially on the offensive glass. USU finished the half with eight offensive rebounds, converting three of them into made baskets.
For the game, USU pounded LBSU on the glass, out-rebounding the 49ers 45-25.
One Aggie who was effective hitting the offensive glass was Spencer Nelson. Nelson finished the game with five offensive boards (nine total), as he rebounded from what he called a forgettable performance against UC Irvine.
After scoring just four points, while picking up four fouls, against the Anteaters, Nelson responded with a career-high 21 points against the 49ers. The sophomore center shot 8-for-11 from the field, and 5-for-5 from the charity stripe.
“I couldn’t do much worse than last time, so I thought I better come out and just have fun,” he said. “That was really my thinking, to come out, play hard and have fun, and not even worry about Thursday night.”
Nelson scored three straight baskets to give the Aggies a 14-7 lead early in the first half. LBSU wouldn’t get any closer, with USU taking its biggest lead in the opening stanza, 49-30 on a Butler 3-pointer at the buzzer.
The 49ers would get as close as 55-38 in the second half, before the Aggies went on a 9-0 run, effectively putting the game out of reach. Another 9-0 run, midway through the half, gave the home team a 32-point cushion.
Even Comadena made an appearance — much to the delight of the Aggie student section — going scoreless in two minutes of action.
Ronnie Ross and Toraino Johnson joined Butler and Nelson in double figures, with Ross scoring 11 points, and Johnson chipping in with 10.
Jibril Hodges paced the Long Beach State attack, scoring 17 points on 5-of-11 shooting. Vance Lawhorn and Kevin Roberts added 14 and 13 points, respectively, for the 49ers.
–jasonwturner@cc.usu.edu