Ags get WAC road sweep with win at Fresno
The Utah State Aggies wouldn’t have won an award for prettiest game Saturday night, but they won’t complain about completing a 3-game road sweep and extending their winning streak to 11 games. Senior forward Nate Bendall, who has seen limited action due to a foot injury early in the season, had a break-out performance as he finished with 12 points and 16 rebounds to lead the Aggies over the Fresno State Bulldogs, 52-39 at the Save Mart Center.
“One of the things Nate (Bendall) did so well was give us a presence out there,” Aggie head coach Stew Morrill said. “That’s the most minutes Nate’s played since he’s been healthy, and the best he has played. He had a great game. He’s out there rebounding the heck out of the ball and giving us a physical presence against (Greg) Smith.”
Smith, who finished with 10 points and nine rebounds, hit the first shot of game off a pass from Nedeljko Gulobovic, but Bendall found senior forward Pooh Williams for a 3-point shot on the ensuing possession to give the Aggies a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
The Aggies led by 11 at halftime thanks to a stingy defense that allowed the Bulldogs a total of five field goals on 16.7 percent shooting from the field and 7.7 percent from the 3-point line. The Bulldogs finished shooting 27.3 percent from the floor and 19 percent from beyond the 3-point arc.
“We made the game ugly,” Morrill said. “It was not an offensive juggernaut out there. Both teams struggled a little bit, but them more than us. We switched our defenses up and they had difficulty making shots, and we made just enough plays and baskets to get out of here with a win.”
Senior forward Tai Wesley finished with 12 points, and junior guard Brockeith Pane added eight. The Aggies finished shooting at a 40 percent clip from both the floor and 3-point line, which is commendable in game two of a weekend road trip.
“We’ve been out for two straight weeks, and it’s tiresome,” Morrill said. “Finding enough energy to compete in this game shows that we’ve got a little bit of character.”
Bendall said, “I guess you’ve just got to go out there and get it done, especially on game two on the road. You’re a little bit more tired; a little bit more fatigued.”
Along with extending their regular season winning streak to 11 games, the Aggies tied a Western Athletic Conference record for consecutive regular season wins with 19. The record started with a season-changing 98-54 blowout over the Hawaii Warriors in Logan on Jan. 11.
“It’s a good job by our teams through the years,” Morrill said. “I go back to when we came in to this league, and we weren’t sure we could compete. So it’s nice that we’ve been able to do that.”
The Aggies now prepare for big weekend at home as the host the Lousiana Tech Bulldogs (9-10, 0-5 WAC), and the New Mexico State Aggies (10-9, 4-1). Tip-off against the Bulldogs is slated for Thursday at 7:05 p.m. in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.
– ty.d.hus@aggiemail.usu.edu