Aggies run out of steam, record first Mountain West loss against UNLV

LAS VEGAS, NV – Utah State men’s basketball lost their first Mountain West game of the season on Wednesday, coming up short in the final minutes and falling to UNLV 65-62. The Aggies struggled all night to make shots, leading to their second-lowest point total of the season.

Utah State jumped out to a quick lead largely thanks to five early points from sophomore wing Tucker Anderson. Anderson led the Aggies with a season-high 19 points, making four threes and providing a much-needed spark for the Aggies.

“Yeah, he was really aggressive. I thought we got him the ball, did a really good job of finding him, and he made some shots,” said head coach Jerrod Calhoun after the game.

With just over 14 minutes left in the first half, they extended their lead to six, leading 12-6. UNLV then went on a 7-0 run to take the lead, but USU quickly snatched it back after a three from Ian Martinez. Utah State was able to hold the lead through most of the first half, despite struggling to get the ball inside. The Aggies finished the first half with just six points in the paint compared to UNLV’s 18.

With 7:02 remaining in the first half and the Aggies leading 22-18, the Rebels ripped off a 12-3 run to jump ahead by five late in the half. Utah State was able to get a couple of quick buckets to tie the game, but UNLV scored again to retake the lead with 47 seconds left.

On the ensuing Aggie possession, Mason Falslev drove to the lane and was fouled, giving him a chance to tie the game just before the break. Falslev missed both free throws, continuing his recent struggles from the charity stripe. USU as a team struggled again from the line against the Rebels, going just 8-15 on the night.

“You know, we’ve got certain guys that just can’t make [free throws]. So, to me, when you can’t do something, you’ve got to practice,” said Calhoun. “So obviously we’ll spend a lot more time doing pressure free throws, but you can’t really simulate free throws. It’s just you and the ball and the basket. You’ve got to make them.”

Neither team was able to score again before the half and UNLV took a 32-30 lead into the locker room.

Utah State faltered in many metrics in the first half which contributed to their halftime deficit. At the break, the Rebels led in turnover margin (+3), rebounds (+7, including eight offensive boards), 2^nd chance points (+8), and points in the paint (+12).

The second half was tightly contested all the way through with UNLV leading most of the way. The Runnin’ Rebels’ largest lead was just five in the second half but led for the first 12+ minutes. With the Rebels sitting on that five-point lead, the Aggies got six straight points from Anderson and Falslev to take a one-point lead with just under eight minutes remaining.

From that point forward, Utah State led for most of the remaining minutes. After UNLV tied the game just after losing it, Martinez and Drake Allen combined for a 9-2 run to give the Aggies their largest lead of the game, 60-53, with 5:25 remaining.

It was tough sledding the rest of the way for USU though, as they could only score two more points in the final five minutes and missed nine of their last 10 shots. The Rebels, on the other hand, finished the game on a 12-2 run, making five of their last seven shots to ice the game.

“I thought we mismanaged the game offensively,” said Calhoun. “I give my guys a lot of freedom, so I trust they’ll make the right decision. Just some of the decisions were really bad.”

After a tough battle all night, Utah State seemed to run out of gas down the stretch. Their recent stretch of close games and the illness making its way through the program has certainly taken a toll on the team. The Aggies were without three players tonight, with Isaac Johnson missing his second straight game and two other players not traveling with the team.

The sickness extended to players who did travel as well, most notably affecting Karson Templin who didn’t practice and was on an IV before the game. Despite that, Templin recorded eight points and tied a career-high in both rebounds (10) and minutes (25).

“It’s been disastrous for 72 hours, something I’ve never seen before, but got three guys not here. Templin didn’t practice, was on IV. Just a disaster,” said Calhoun postgame. “But the reality of is, nobody cares in a month and a half. You’ve got to fight through it, you’ve got to try to find a way to win.”

With Wednesday’s loss and New Mexico’s loss to San Jose State on Tuesday, Utah State remains tied with the Lobos atop the Mountain West standings with both squads boasting a 6-1 conference record.

The Aggies will have a much-needed week off before looking to bounce back at home against Nevada next Wednesday night.