Aggies break out brooms
Utah State men’s basketball forward Desmond Penigar is pretty sure the Aggies will win the Big West Conference Championships. His team moved one step closer Thursday as they defeated the University of California Santa Barbara 72-64 in the Spectrum.
“We are going to win this conference,” Penigar said. “We are here, and we’re not going anywhere.”
Penigar, who struggled during the first half, rebounded, both literally and figuratively, to finish the game with 18 points and nine rebounds.
“I had to make up for the first half,” Penigar said about his two- point, three- rebound performance in the first 20 minutes of play.
Although he was comfortable with his statement about winning the conference, Penigar’s teammates were a little more shaky.
“If we defend and rebound,” USU forward Brennan Ray said. “That’s the number one key. If you watch the game, the momentum shifted once we started playing defense.”
Ray himself did a little rebounding, pulling down 10 rebounds, seven of which were in the first half.
Despite the 10 rebounds by Ray, Utah State was outrebounded for the second time in as many games, 36-31.
Morrill contributes the decline in team rebounds partially to the decline in individual rebounds by forward Chad Evans. Evans recorded no rebounds in 18 minutes of play, but averaged 4.8 boards a game prior to Thursday’s contest.
Aggie guard Tony Brown, the game leader in scoring with 27 points- including 4-of-8 shooting from beyond the arc, said the team needs a little more work to positively say they will win the conference.
“We’re going to need help from everyone else,” Brown said. “If we go undefeated the rest of the time I’m sure we will win it, but you can’t just sit back and say we’ll go undefeated.”
For the Aggies to go undefeated, or even continue winning, the team needs a third scorer to step up, as Utah State Head Morrill has continually stressed.
Against the Gauchos, Brown and Penigar were the only players to score in double figures, the next closer player being Jeremy Vague with six points.
“Tony’s line was unbelievable,” Morrill said. “I knew he was playing well, but until I saw his line I had no idea he played quite that well. He is just so confident right now.”
Brown opened the second half with a 3-pointer from 20 feet out just 30 seconds in, tying the game at 33-33. Penigar followed with a trey of his own, capturing a lead the Aggies would not relinquish.
“Santa Barbara’s an awfully good club,” Morrill said. “We feel very fortunate to have beaten them twice.”
Not only did Utah State come away with the W twice this year, but last season the Aggies defeated the Gauchos twice to sweep the meetings.
UCSB junior forward Mark Hull led his team with 19 points, followed by senior center Adam Ndiaye. Ndiaye received a technical foul after intentionally fouling Penigar with 3:12 remaining in the second half.
With the Aggie victory over UCSB and a 74-58 Cal State Northridge loss to the University of Pacific, Utah State moved into a tie for second place with the CSN Matadors.
The University of California Irvine defeated the University of California Riverside 72-64 to remain in sole possession of first place in the Big West.
Prior to Jan. 3, the Aggies also held a winning streak against California Polytechnic Institute before losing 61-58. Only four players – Brown, Penigar, Evans and Mike Ahmad – scored in the defeat.
“They are very, very physical,” Morrill said of the Mustangs. “They held Irvine to 47 points. I can’t imagine that.”
Cal Poly knocked off the Anteaters 50-47 Jan. 26 in San Luis Obispo, a task the Aggies were unable to master.
“We’re excited they are coming in,” Ray said. ‘They are a good basketball team and we didn’t give them our best effort down there.”
The team wants to show the Mustangs how the Aggies really play, Ray said.
Aggie center Jeremy Vague throws down a monster dunk over Santa Barabara´s Mike Vukovich in USU´s 72-64 victory over the Gauchos Thursday in the Spectrum. (John Zsiray )