Carroll’s 32 pushes USU to big victory Saturday
Different opponent, different day, and for the Aggies on Saturday night, different results.
Utah State bounced back in a big way in their second and final exhibition game, beating Laval University 100-46.
Saturday night the Aggies came out with a lot of focus and concentration, something they didn’t do in the exhibition opener against EA Sports.
“We came out excited in the first game, enthusiastic and probably a little unfocused,” senior guard Jaycee Carroll said. “The coaches limited some things we could do in the warm up. I think that helped focus us a little bit.”
The things that were eliminated before the game were dunks and alley-oop passes.
“That’s the main thing we talked about before the game,” freshman guard Pooh Williams said. “Our concentration has to be better … We wanted to be more crisp.”
And crisp the Aggies were, as they jumped out to an early 8-0 lead behind six points from junior Gary Wilkinson.
With 14:33 left in the first half and the game at 8-6 for the Aggies, Carroll took over and in the next two minutes scored nine of the next 11 points for the Aggies. During that run he not only scored, but also got an assist and a steal. Carroll then went to the bench and the Aggies continued to increase the lead to 38-15 over the next six minutes.
“I thought we played hard and tried to execute, and we had guys coming off the bench trying to play hard, and we took some charges and were aggressive on the break,” Head Coach Stew Morrill said.
Carroll came back into the game and immediately picked up where he had left off by making a 3-point shot while being fouled. He was able to make the free throw to complete a rare four-point play. Carroll would end the first half with 23 points. For the entire game, he scored 32 points on 12-of-16 shooting, including 4-of-6 from behind the 3-point line. In addition to his scoring, Carroll also grabbed seven rebounds and recorded three steals in only 20 minutes of play.
“That’s Jaycee Carroll, that’s what he does,” Williams said. “He’s a big part of this team, and he’s our leader.”
By halftime, the lead had increased to 54-24 for the Aggies. The only questions in doubt were how much would Utah State win by and could they continue with their impressive shooting and defense.
For the game, Utah State shot 62.7 percent from the floor, including 54.5 percent from beyond the arc. The Aggies were able to out-rebound Laval by nine and forced 24 turnovers, including 15 steals. The final margin of victory was 54.
“I think we took a step forward, and so that part is encouraging,” Morrill said.
Besides Carroll, other Aggie starters to finish in double digits were senior forward Stephen DuCharme and Wilkinson. DuCharme ended the game with 13 points on 4-of-8 shooting while Wilkinson scored 12 points. Both players also recorded four rebounds apiece.
Williams, coming off the bench, led the way for Aggie reserves with 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting, including two for two on 3-point tries.
“I’m getting used to the system,” Williams said. “The harder I practice, the more I understand the system.”
“It was good, we got 11 guys minutes and had some fun and played hard,” Morrill said.
Morrill was happy to see his team respond well after not having a good practice the day before the game.
“I wasn’t really happy with them yesterday, and they responded to that,” he said.
“We did get the message and came out today in shoot around and practiced really hard,” Carroll said.
At one point in the second half, Carroll had personally outscored the entire Laval team, and the student section began chanting “Jaycee’s winning.”
“You hear it and it’s good,” Carroll said. “That’s one of the reasons you come to Utah State because the fans are their and are so vocal, and you really know they’re in your corner for the entire game.”
Laval University was playing its third game in three nights, and fatigue showed as they turned the ball over 24 times and only shot 30 percent from the field the entire game.
“It’s a little bit hard to take too much from (the game),” Morrill said. “We got a team that we’re better than, and we should be better than, playing their third night in a row.”
Utah State will now prepare for their season opener at home Nov. 9 against Southern Utah University.
Morrill said he would like more time to practice, but as for Carroll and the rest of the players, they are ready to play games.
“I am just ready, and I know everyone else is ready to go,” Carroll said. “I know Coach Morrill says that he wishes he had a month to practice before we play, but as a player, it is great to have games and be out in front of people and showcase what you’re able to do.”
-sam.bryner@aggiemail.usu.edu