Aggies race past Mustangs
A 20-6 run to open the second half built on a five-point led and helped propel the Utah State men’s basketball team to a 81-67 victory over Cal Poly University (6-6, 2-1) in Big West action Thursday in the Spectrum.
With USU (11-3, 2-1) up 37-32 at halftime, the game remained scoreless for 2:06 into the second half until the Aggies came to life. Forwards Desmond Penigar and Toraino Johnson combined for 15 points and center Spencer Nelson added five more in the Aggies’ run. With 13:31 left in the game, USU held a 19-point lead, its largest of the game.
“We came out and we started the second half, not the first couple of possessions, but about the first six, seven, eight minutes was the difference in the game,” said Aggie Head Coach Stew Morrill. “We guarded well, we scored well and all of the sudden we’ve got a comfortable lead.”
Utah State’s defense and the ability to score points on the fast break were important factors for the Aggies in the second half, Morrill said.
“I thought Cal Poly got real tired in the second half when we were really pushing the ball and that was a big part of the game,” he said.
Using a 12-4 run, the Mustangs were able to trim the Aggie lead to 11 with 7:42 remaining, but it was the closest they would get as Utah State started running.
Three layups and a free throw by Nelson helped push the Aggie lead back up to 19 at 78-59. With under a minute remaining and still down 19, Mustang guard Jason Allen hit back-to-back three pointers, but they only altered the final score, not the result.
In the first half both teams stared with hot shooting hands. Less than four minutes into the game, the Aggies broke a 10-10 tie when guard Ronnie Ross hit his third three-point shot of the game.
Utah State was able to go up 15-10 on a runner in the lane by forward Cardell Butler, but Cal Poly kept answering, closing the game to 22-21.
“The first half, offensively we were playing well as well, but we weren’t getting any defensive stops,” Nelson said. “[It was] just back-and-forth, back-and-forth.”
Six straight points put USU up 28-21, and the Aggies held a 35-28 lead with only two minutes remaining in the half.
Cal Poly closed back to 35-32 before a pair of free throws by Penigar gave the Aggies the five-point halftime lead.
“Tonight they were sticking right there with us,” Ross said. “I was getting kind of scared. I was thinking we needed at least a 10-point cushion.”
For the game Utah State shooting remained hot, finishing at 55.2 percent while Cal Poly shot 50 percent. The Aggies had four players in double digits as Penigar led all scorers with 20. Johnson added 10, Nelson picked up 16 and Ross chipped in 12.
“When you have so many weapons around you it opens up stuff for you,” Nelson said. “They deserve as much credit as anyone.”
Cal Poly was led by forward Shane Shilling with 17 points, while center Varnie Dennis and Jackson each added 14.
On the boards, the Aggies out-rebounded the Mustangs by 18, 38-20.
“We just pounded the boards,” Morrill said. “This team has tried to prove that it’s a pretty good rebounding team. Look at the last five or six games. If we can keep doing that, that wins basketball games for you. Our rebounding margin has been huge.”
Utah State will continue Big West play Saturday in the Spectrum against the University of California Santa Barbara (5-8, 2-1).
The Gauchos’ record doesn’t indicate the ability of the team, though, Morrill said.
“Their schedule has been really tough and they got behind the 8-ball in some tournaments,” Morrill said. “They got the same players that were picked to win the league, the same guys that beat us in the [Big West] tournament last year. They’re the best three-point shooting team in the league.
Center Mike Puzey said, “We’re excited. It’s the team that knocked us out of the [Big West] tournament last year and there’s a lot of us that remember that game. We’re looking forward to that game.”
–slbk5@cc.usu.edu
Forward Desmond Penigar snares a rebound between two Cal Poly defenders in Utah State´s 81-67 win Thursday night. (Photo by John Zsiray)