MBB: Aggies come up short in Mountain West Championship Game
LAS VEGAS — Utah State Men’s Basketball was outlasted by No. 20 San Diego State 62-57 on Saturday. Both teams were playing the third game in less than 72 hours and the Aztecs’ depth proved pivotal in the Mountain West Championship Game.
“They’ve got a dynamite team. They’re very tough. They’re very deep,” USU head coach Ryan Odom said. “They’re able to rest their guys more than most teams, and so when they are on the bench, they get their energy back and then they come back in. And then, you know, they’re refreshed and ready to attack.”
With just over six minutes left and down 46-44, USU was running out of time in the shot clock. The Aggies got the ball to forward Taylor Funk with just a second left. He lifted a 3-pointer that swished through, but upon review, the officials determined Funk didn’t get the shot off in time and USU turned the ball over on a shot clock violation.
“That was a difficult moment for sure. We thought it was good,” guard Steven Ashworth said. “I haven’t seen the replay, but they believed, and maybe it was a shot clock violation, which is tough because every possession matters in a game like this.”
Aztec guard Matt Bradley, who was named tournament MVP, went down the court two possessions later and drew a foul awarding him free throws because of the bonus. He made one and missed the second and San Diego State corralled an offensive rebound. Bradley did the same thing, drawing a foul and getting to the line to push the Aztec lead to 51-46.
After a missed 3-pointer from Ashworth on the next Aggie possession, SDSU guard Darrion Trammell hit a dagger of a jump shot from the right elbow, putting the lead to 53-46 with three minutes left.
Utah State fought through until the end, but the seven-point lead was enough for San Deigo State to hang onto as they won their Mountain West Championship 62-57.
Both teams were exhausted after playing three high-caliber games in such a short stretch. While the Aggies insist it wasn’t fatigue, SDSU pointed to their depth on the bench as giving them the edge.
“I look in the locker room and we got nine different guys that have led us in scoring,” SDSU head coach Brian Dutcher said. “Our depth is our strength, and we just don’t know who it’s going to be on any given day, but they all have opportunity, and whoever is rolling plays the most minutes.”
Ashworth agreed, saying it could give SDSU an advantage in tournaments when they play games close together.
“Everybody can play 20 minutes for that squad, and I think it’s a credit to their coaching staff as well as the caliber of players that they have,” Ashworth said.
And while the quick turnaround played an advantage for SDSU in this game, it remains a problem for players’ safety. After the game, Ashworth said he slept just four-and-a-half hours.
“Obviously it’s tough when you start — you’re supposed to start at 9 (p.m.),” Ashworth said. “Game doesn’t really start until about 9:20 (p.m.) and then a later night. You’re trying to get recovery. I had to get in the ice bath. A few bumps and bruises after that semifinal game. So really tried to get to sleep as quick as I could. But if you’ve ever been an athlete you understand how your body is just running after a game and how it can be hard to wind down.”
However, Ashworth didn’t feel like an energy difference was the problem.
“I felt like we had the energy and the juice and the stamina,” Ashworth said. “You saw us right down to the final minutes fighting right there with them.”
USU center Trevin Dorius agreed that the issue was more of certain plays not going the Aggies’ way.
“We were fighting with them tooth and nail,” Dorius said. “We’re as talented. We’re as deep. Just didn’t fall our way this time. So I’m really excited for what our team has to offer and excited for the future that we have this postseason.”
The fatigue along with tough defense from both squads kept offense low. USU shot 37% from the field while SDSU made just 30% of their shots.
In the battle in the paint, Utah State outscored the Aztecs 34-28 with Dorius emerging as the Aggies’ leading scorer at halftime with six points. However, San Diego State would grab 15 offensive rebounds in the game leading to 14 second-chance points.
In one example of plenty of missed open shots, Ashworth missed a wide-open layup but made up for it by running down the court and picking the pocket of Adam Seiko and completing an and-one in transition.
Ashworth’s and-one started a 12-2 Utah State run midway through the half that was capped off with a Dorius ally-oop and a Dorius dime to forward Zee Hamoda for a wide-open corner triple. The Aggies led 26-15 with just under seven minutes left in the first half.
Dorius finished the game with 12 points, seven rebounds, a block and an assist. The performance was indicative that Dorius can be relied on in big games.
“I think you saw him tonight,” Odom said. “Even though he missed some shots around the rim that he can make, he really made some good plays.”
SDSU responded with a 13-2 run over the final six minutes during a stretch where USU went 0-8 from the field. That cut the Aggies’ lead to 29-28 erasing the cushion Utah State had built. The Aztecs would go on to capitalize on their depth to pull away with the five-point victory.
However, the season is not over. Experts have projected that USU will be selected to make March Madness in an at-large bid. Ashworth was confident that with some sleep the Aggies would bounce back and be ready for a potential tourney game.
“I am very confident in the collective toughness that our team has to get ready for our next game, whoever it may be, wherever we have to travel,” Ashworth said.
Utah State will learn its postseason fate during the NCAA Tournament selection show at 4 p.m. on CBS.
Featured image by Heidi Bingham.