Ross realizes career is coming to end
To Ronnie Ross, basketball is all he has. So when he steps onto the Spectrum hardwood for the final time Saturday against Pacific, it will be somewhat bittersweet.
Why?
After transferring to USU last season from John Wood Junior College in Illinois, Ross prospered in his first season as an Aggie.
This year though, things have been a little bumpy. Ross lost his starting position at various times to Cardell Butler, and was even suspended for two games for “violating team rules.”
Thursday against Cal State Northridge though, it was finally his time to shine. Ross recorded 17 points en route to a 69-58 win over the Matadors.
Ross knocked down three 3-pointers early in the game to help the Aggies out to a 17-10 lead.
“[Ross] obviously gave us a big lift,” said Utah State Head Coach Stew Morrill. “He’s been on a little bit of a roll, he’s been getting some extra shots in practice.”
CSN Head Coach Bobby Braswell said, “Ross came in and hit a couple of big shots for them in transition.”
Ross said it was important for him to play well because he realizes his career at USU is nearing its end.
The guard from Jeanerette, La., indeed stepped up his game. He was perfect from the free-throw line (6-for-6), and shot 3-for-5 from behind the arc. Ross also nabbed three steals in 25 minutes of action off the bench.
Quotable
“When you have lost a couple of games, you sometimes just have to get over the hump and get your confidence back a little bit. I hope this game will help us a little along those lines.”
— Morrill said of the importance of grabbing a win.
By the numbers
7,386 — paid attendance for Thursday’s game.
1,000 — shirts given away. One lucky fan won a free trip to the Big West Tournament in Anaheim, Calif. March 14-16.
86 — the age of the oldest member of “Jean’s Golden Girls” who participated during halftime.
70 — Utah State’s free throw percentage in the second half. Ross finished the game 6-for-6 from the charity stripe, while Desmond Penigar knocked down 5-of-6.
68-7 — Morrill’s home record as Aggie head coach.
22 — points allowed by Utah State in the first half. It was the third-fewest allowed in the first half this year.
17 — points scored by both Penigar and Ross. Forward Ian Boylan led the Matadors with 22 points and five rebounds.
16 — team-leading dunks by Butler.
3 — players who fouled out. Boylan and Joseph Frazier took their seats early for the Matadors, while Spencer Nelson racked up his fifth foul late in the second half.
1 — Big West Conference commissioner in attendance. Dennis Farrell watched the first half of the game from press row and visited with the team in the locker room afterward.
Up next
The Aggies will close out the regular season Saturday as Pacific comes to town. Aside from wanting to send the seniors out on a positive note, Utah State also wants to gain revenge for a 66-54 loss to the Tigers on Jan. 4.
“We’re going to win our next game Saturday,” Penigar said.
Morrill said he is worried about the mood against the Tigers is because of senior night. Utah State will honor Penigar, Ross, Toraino Johnson and Mike Puzey.
He said he is hoping the emotion from pre-game activities carries over to the court.
“One thing we will try to do is make it a celebration,” Morrill said of how he would like the atmosphere on Saturday. “We want to make it more of a celebration than a funeral [for the seniors]. That’s how it needs to be. I hope we can do it because it’s hard.”
Ross said he remembers watching Tony Brown during the senior celebration last year and thinking he still had a season left.
“Before the game I was thinking, ‘Man, I’m a senior,'” he said. “I knew I needed to play as hard as I could, so that at the end of my last two home games I could say I gave the Aggie fans all I had.”
The Tigers clinched a berth to the BWC Tournament with a 77-65 win over UC Riverside last Saturday. The win also stopped a six-game losing streak.
One thing the Aggies won’t have to worry about against the Tigers is accomplishing the 20-win plateau.
The victory against CSN marked USU’s fourth-straight 20-win season.
“There are a lot of teams around the country that would like to have 20 wins,” Morrill said. “[The team] needs to feel good about that.”
–juag@cc.usu.edu