San Jose’s defense no match for Reed
Heading into USU’s second game of its two-game home stand, USU head coach Stew Morrill said he was concerned with how his team would handle what he called “a junk defense” from San Jose State.
Morrill’s team responded with a season-high single-half output, with 47 points in the first half and a team-high 82 points in an 82-65 win against the San Jose State Spartans in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum on Saturday.
“It is an odd sort of game when you play San Jose State,” Morrill said. “They make it difficult, because they play that matchup zone that causes you problems. Offensively we didn’t have many problems early — I thought that we played well offensively.”
San Jose State head coach George Nessman shared similar feelings.
“We needed to defend better,” Nessman said. “(USU) had 47 points in the first half, obviously some of that is they had a good plan for us.”
The Aggies had five players record double-figure scoring in Mitch Bruneel (15 points), Kyisean Reed (21 points), Morgan Grim (10 points), Brockeith Pane (15 points) and Preston Medlin (15 points).
For Morrill, a big key to USU’s success was having fun.
“We were kind of free and easy,” Morrill said. “We were flowing and we were having fun. Basketball — as much as a business this is — I’m constantly telling kids they need to have fun, because that’s why they play. It’s hard when there is so much on the line and so many coaches on you at the Division-I level, but you are going to play better if you have fun. We had fun tonight.”
San Jose’s defense and style of play benefited Kyisean Reed, who drove to the basket repeatedly and getting fouled time after time.
“That’s one of the reasons why Kyisean can play so well — he gets to free up and play in space,” Morrill said.
Reed said he didn’t do anything special, he just focuses on scoring.
“My offense is, no matter what, get the ball in the hole,” he said. “Whether they foul me or not, try to get the ball in the hole.”
Reed said he noticed a difference in the way the team played.
“I get a lot of energy going,” he said. “I’m running, everyone else is running and excited, and the crowd is excited. It gets the adrenaline going and we play well.”
USU pushed the pace often to create several crowd-pleasing plays.
The Aggies were in the middle of a run that would put the game out of reach for San Jose State, with about six minutes left, when duo Brockeith Pane and Preston Medlin teamed up for an unexpected play. Pane stripped the ball from San Jose’s Wil Carter to start a fast break and pushed the ball ahead to Medlin, who found Pane for the lob dunk.
“The lob dunk, that’s never happened,” Morrill said. “Preston to Brock for a lob dunk, who knew? I’ve never seen that before, but it was a really good play by Preston. The guy was in the passing lane, he threw it up, and Brock is always bragging that he can jump.”
– ty.d.hus@aggiemail.usu.edu