Gauchos demolished
It took a half, but the Aggies proved to the USU fans that they are back on track with their 23rd win.
“[The team] was real happy to get off that 22,” said head coach Stew Morrill.
“That felt the best, I think,” said center Dimitri Jorssen.
A blazing 33-8 run to start the half lifted USU out of a lethargic first half and into a route of University of California at Santa Barbara, 83-50.
The Gauchos, Big West’s third-place team, hung with the sluggish Aggies in the first half. UCSB even took a lead, 25-23, after a 3-pointer by Nick Jones.
But that was all Jones would score all game – in fact, the Aggie defense didn’t allow a single Gaucho to reach double digits.
“We played pretty dang well in the second half,” Morrill said. “It was nice to be home.”
Thursday night’s game at the Spectrum was the first for USU in nearly two weeks. The Aggies took advantage of it in the second half. Even the back-up squad was thumping UCSB.
“We wanted to show everybody that we can play,” said forward Dion Bailey.
USU busted out of a four-point game at halftime with a 12-0 run to start the half. It only took three minutes, but when the dust had settled from the run that was keyed by treys from Bernard Rock and Tony Brown and a thunderous dunk by Jorssen.
“I’d like to take credit for it,” Morrill said, adding he didn’t expect to blow the Gauchos out. “We just had good performances.”
Besides Dimitri’s career night, Brown (11 points), Toraino Johnson (eight points) and Bailey (six points and seven rebounds).
“Bailey was big off the bench,” Morrill said.
He was part of the fast- break play in the first half where he got a rebound and pushed the ball up to Rock, who then hit Brennan Ray on the run for a dunk. That capped of a good 14-6 start to the game.
“We thought the break was hurting them,” Morrill said.
After that, the Gauchos called time out and eventually scratched their way back into the game. UCSB’s lead with 3:27 left in the first half lasted only 14 seconds as Rock drove for a quick layup. A Daniels hook gave USU the lead for good, 27-25.
Once again, a team effort helped USU to a win. Every player scored, with the exception of Jason Napier, who only played three minutes.
The Aggies also out-rebounded UCSB 35-21 and out-assisted them 19-9.
Now the Aggies look to Cal Poly for an ESPN-televised game on Saturday at the Spectrum.
“Cal Poly is dangerous,” Morrill said. “They can flat out score.”
But that’s about all Cal Poly has going for them as they are 3-11 in the Big West and 9-16 overall.
The game will mean nothing to USU standings-wise, but will mean a lot to the Aggies’ seniors, who will be playing their last game in the Spectrum. Morrill, Jorssen and Bailey all said it will be emotional.
“We all need to channel those emotions into positive energy,” Morrill said. “It can go either way.”