Men’s basketball falls to Pacific
The Utah State men’s basketball team hasn’t dropped back-to-back games since the 2009-10 season and the Aggies have dropped two in a row just 17 times in the past 13 years.
USU dropped its second consecutive game, as sophomore forward Ross Rivera came off the bench to score 15 points to lead the University of Pacific Tigers over the Aggies 65-57, on Saturday at the Spanos Center in Stockton, Calif.
“They pretty much dominated us physically,” USU head coach Stew Morrill said. “They had some big, strong guys and they were stronger than us at about every position. We don’t carry a lot of bulk at any of our spots other than Brockeith (Pane), and it showed.”
Pane, who finished below double-digit scoring for the first time in nine games, hit a 3-pointer to pull the Aggies within six points, late in the game, but the comeback effort fell short.
USU began the game on a 4-0 run with Pane hitting a jumper and Mitch Bruneel getting in the lane for an easy layup.
Pacific began a run at a lead it would not relinquish. After a 3-pointer from sophomore guard Preston Medilin, who led the Aggies with 15 points, the Tigers would respond with a 7-0 run to take a 10-7 lead.
A layup from senior forward Morgan Grim, who played limited minutes due to an ankle injury and illness, tied the game at 12-apiece, midway through the first half, but Pacific would outscore USU 19-10 to close out the half and gain a lead it never ceded.
Junior forward Kysiean Reed, who finished with 13 points, scored USU’s first 11 points of the second half to keep the Aggies within striking distance of Pacific.
As it did for most of the game, USU struggled on both sides of the floor, nevertheless Pacific gradually increased its lead as the game progressed.
A pair of free throws from junior guard Lorenzo McCloud gave Pacific its largest lead of the night at 56-39 with 8:21 to play.
“I thought we tried, even when we got down big,” Morrill said. “We’re just really struggling.”
USU hit a season-low 32.8 percent from the field and 16.7 percent from 3-point land.
“Sometimes it happens like that — the ball just doesn’t fall,” Reed said. “We know we’re going to get better. We know we are. We’ve just got to stay together when things like this happen.”
Pacific out-rebounded USU 43-36 and pulled down 21 offensive rebounds.
“They did a nice job of getting rebounds,” Reed said. “They were a little bit more physical than we were. We did a little bit better in the second half.”
To add to USU’s difficulties on both ends of the floor, senior forward Brady Jardine may be out for the remainder of the season. The senior suffered a mid-foot sprain in the early minutes of a game against Southern Utah University.
“It’s a lot worse than they thought and it’s possible season ending,” Morrill said of Jardine’s injury. “That’s just the way it is. It’s a tough blow, but that’s the way it is.”
USU decided to pull the redshirt off Danny Berger due the news of Jardine. Berger scored two points in 19 minutes of play in his first game as an Aggie.
USU now prepares for in-state rival Utah Valley University Tuesday night at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.
“We’ve just got to keep plugging,” Morrill said. “That’s the only solution there is. The best thing we can do is try to bounce back Tuesday against a solid Utah Valley team.”
– ty.d.hus@aggiemail.usu.edu