<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" > <channel> <title>Marco Anthony Archives - The Utah Statesman</title> <atom:link href="https://usustatesman.com/tag/marco-anthony/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> <link>https://usustatesman.com/tag/marco-anthony/</link> <description>USU's Student Newspaper</description> <lastBuildDate>Tue, 13 Apr 2021 04:28:49 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en-US</language> <sy:updatePeriod> hourly </sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency> 1 </sy:updateFrequency> <generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.2</generator> <image> <url>https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/cropped-screen-shot-2017-10-19-at-4.33.29-pm-32x32.png</url> <title>Marco Anthony Archives - The Utah Statesman</title> <link>https://usustatesman.com/tag/marco-anthony/</link> <width>32</width> <height>32</height> </image> <item> <title>USU Men’s Hoops: Anthony and Worster enter transfer portal</title> <link>https://usustatesman.com/usu-mens-hoops-anthony-and-worster-enter-transfer-portal/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Jacob Nielson]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 13 Apr 2021 03:23:12 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[All]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Men's Basketball]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Marco Anthony]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Rollie Worster]]></category> <category><![CDATA[USU basketball]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Utah State Aggies]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Utah State Basketball]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://usustatesman.com/?p=22114573</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>After just one season spent donning the Aggie blue, both Marco Anthony and Rollie Worster are moving on from the…</p> <p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/usu-mens-hoops-anthony-and-worster-enter-transfer-portal/">USU Men’s Hoops: Anthony and Worster enter transfer portal</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After just one season spent donning the Aggie blue, both Marco Anthony and Rollie Worster are moving on from the Utah State men’s basketball team. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anthony, a redshirt junior guard, announced Monday, “I feel that it is in my best interest to reopen my recruitment as a grad transfer to find the best situation for me and my future.” </span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true"> <p lang="und" dir="ltr"><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/15.0.3/72x72/1f499.png" alt="💙" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> <a href="https://t.co/9NEfs0tpFI">pic.twitter.com/9NEfs0tpFI</a></p> <p>— Marco (@MarcoJAnthony) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarcoJAnthony/status/1381672554088173574?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2021</a></p></blockquote> <p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It was also reported last Thursday that Worster would be transferring, however that has not been confirmed by Worster himself.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true"> <p lang="en" dir="ltr">BREAKING AGGIE HOOPS NEWS! I'm being told that freshman guard Rollie Worster will enter the transfer portal.</p> <p>— BrianPhillips@aggies22 (@BrianPhillipsa1) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrianPhillipsa1/status/1380239461695377409?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2021</a></p></blockquote> <p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With the 2020-21 season not counting on the eligibility clock for student-athletes, and the NCAA expected to do away with the rule that forces transfer to sit out one season, it gives players an unprecedented opportunity to pursue other options without the traditional consequences. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anthony, who earned a spot on the All-Mountain West defensive team, and Worster join senior forward Alphonso Anderson and senior center Kuba Karwowski as the group of former Aggies looking for a new home. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Freshman guard Max Shulga put his name in the transfer portal last week, but reportedly withdrew from it Friday and will stay at USU. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While Anderson had announced his decision to transfer beforehand, the departures of Worster and Anthony come in the wake of former head coach Craig Smith’s decision to leave Logan for a massive pay raise to become the head coach at the University of Utah. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It remains to be seen whether or not Worster and Anthony are going to join Smith — who recruited them to Utah State out of high school and Virginia respectively — down in Salt Lake City. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Regardless of where either ends up, the departure of the back court duo is a big blow for new USU coach Ryan Odom and the program. Both Worster and Anthony were starters that played a pivotal role in helping the Aggies reach the NCAA tournament. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anthony averaged 10.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.1 assists last season and was an effective facilitator of the offense all season long. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Per Ken Pom, he had an assist rate of 18.6 percent, No. 17 in the Mountain West, and achieved an offensive rebound rate of 5.2 percent, No. 23 in the conference. In the NCAA tournament against Texas Tech, he finished with 11 points and four rebounds. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anthony also played a valuable role on a defense that had an efficiency rating of 89.5</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">percent — No. 8 in the nation — by locking down opposing teams’ points guards.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Rollie Worster averaged 9.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in his first year in college. He</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> was a reliable scorer that could create a shot for himself off the dribble and was lethal from midrange. He shot 31 of 57 from inside the arc (.544) throughout conference play, good for No. 20 in the Mountain West. </span>Beyond scoring, he was capable of filling up the stat sheet.</p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In his best game of the season, a win over UNLV on January 27, he nearly achieved a triple-double, recording 19 points, nine rebounds and nine assists. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hampered by a leg injury near the end of the season, his absence was felt in back-to-back losses at Boise State, but he returned with three games left in the regular season. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fully healthy, he tallied a combined 19 points, 13 rebounds, and 12 assists in quarterfinal and semifinal victories over UNLV and Colorado State in the Mountain West tournament, helping to lift the Aggies to the championship game. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Losing at least Worster, Anthony and Anderson to the portal — and junior center Neemias Queta to the NBA draft — and with zero new Freshmen signed to join the program in the fall, there are at least four spots available on the roster. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">So expect new head coach Ryan Odom and his new staff to hit the transfer portal hard. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He told Statesman Sports last week, “We gotta challenge ourselves from a recruiting perspective and get the best players. That’s what Utah State deserves – the best players possible that fit in the overall culture here.” </span></p> <hr /> <p>@jacobnielson12</p> <p>—sports@usustatesman.com</p> <p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/usu-mens-hoops-anthony-and-worster-enter-transfer-portal/">USU Men’s Hoops: Anthony and Worster enter transfer portal</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Lack of shooting sends USU men’s hoops home from the NCAA Tournament</title> <link>https://usustatesman.com/lack-of-shooting-sends-usu-mens-hoops-home-from-the-ncaa-tournament/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Jacob Nielson]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 19 Mar 2021 22:55:57 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[All]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Basketball]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Men's Basketball]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Brock Miller]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Craig Smith]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Justin Bean]]></category> <category><![CDATA[mac mcclung]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Marco Anthony]]></category> <category><![CDATA[NCAA tournament]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Neemias Queta]]></category> <category><![CDATA[red reaiders]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Texas Tech]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Utah State Aggies]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Utah State Basketball]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://usustatesman.com/?p=22114020</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Utah State men’s basketball’s specialty is to play in the dirt — relying on defense, rebounding and scrappiness to keep…</p> <p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/lack-of-shooting-sends-usu-mens-hoops-home-from-the-ncaa-tournament/">Lack of shooting sends USU men’s hoops home from the NCAA Tournament</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="gmail_quote"> <div dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Utah State men’s basketball’s specialty is to play in the dirt — relying on defense, rebounding and scrappiness to keep itself in a game, with a good chance to win it. But against an elite team like Texas Tech, this strategy can only work for so long.</p> <p dir="ltr">You need to get buckets.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Aggies found that out the hard way on March 19, 2021, in Bloomington, IN at historic Assembly Hall. Utah State was bounced from the NCAA tournament Friday afternoon thanks to an impressive second-half scoring surge from the Red Raiders and a lack thereof from the Aggies.</p> <p dir="ltr">A 33 to 27 lead early in the second half quickly evaporated and turned into a 65 to 53 defeat for USU, ending the season and crushing aspirations for its first tournament win since 2001.</p> <p dir="ltr">Texas Tech shot 56.7 percent (17-30) in the second half, went on a 16 to 2 run, and outscored Utah State 42 to 26 in the final 20 minutes while USU shot just 40.7 percent (11-27) during that span.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Aggies actually shot the ball better for the whole game (44%), as opposed to 41.9 percent from Texas Tech — but their “Achilles hill,” according to head coach Craig Smith was turnovers.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Aggie backcourt, which includes freshman Rollie Worster and Steven Ashworth, was harassed by the athletic Red Raider guards all afternoon, and the No. 6 seed forced 22 turnovers, killing USU possessions and turning that into 28 points for Tech.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We knew the turnover battle was going to be a big thing, the two things we (focused on) were being ball tough, being able to make quick decisions, and you have to do that at a high level to get good shots against these guys,” said Smith. “One of the pieces to eliminate losing is taking care of the ball and tonight obviously that was our Achilles hill.”</p> <p dir="ltr">When the ball wasn’t getting stolen, Utah State got clean looks and had success scoring in the paint; but they could not hit a shot from outside, shooting just 21.1 percent (4 of 19) from beyond the arc.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I felt like we had more clean looks from the three tonight than we have all year,” Smith said, “We weren’t able to capitalize on it…The bottom line is you play these guys, you’ve got to make some threes.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Much of those looks were in part because of how the Red Raiders were defending junior center Neemias Queta.</p> <p dir="ltr">They doubled and tripled the Aggies’ best player all game long, holding him to just eight shot attempts. But that didn’t prevent Queta from being a huge factor in the game, helping the Aggies lead heading into halftime.</p> <p dir="ltr">He finished with 11 points, 13 rebounds, seven blocks and five assists, becoming the second player in history to record 10 or more points, fiveor more rebounds, five or more assists and five more blocks in an NCAA tournament game.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He’s a star player, and your star players have to deliver, especially when the pressure is on, and he did,” said Smith. “He ends the game with 11 points, 13 boards, six assists, and seven blocked shots, and not many guys in the world, college basketball, NBA, pro basketball, in the world can do something like that.”</p> <p dir="ltr">But his superman play was not enough to make up for the offensive ineptitude of the Aggie guards. The five guards that played: junior Marco Anthony, junior Brock Miller, freshman Max Shulga, Worster and Ashworth combined for just 23 points.</p> <p dir="ltr">USU opened the game to a promising start. Queta had back-to-back jumpers and two assists, Teas Tech was forced to take contested shots, shooting just 2-8 early and the Aggie led by five at the 14:39 mark.</p> <p dir="ltr">Then the turnovers started pouring in. Texas Tech — which forces an average of 16 turnovers per game — seemed bent to reach that mark by halftime. 13 first-half turnovers turned into 14 of Tech’s 23 first half points.</p> <p dir="ltr">Then the Red Raiders went on a 14 to 2 run, taking a 19 to 12 lead with 6:01 in the half.</p> <p dir="ltr">But the Aggie offense got going. Junior Justin Bean was a major factor, hitting a pair of mid-range jumpers. He finished the first half with 10 points and eight rebounds. Anthony had a put-back dunk with 2:14 to play, building a 23 to 20 lead.</p> <p dir="ltr">Utah State led 26-23 at the half, holding Texas Tech to 28.1 (9 of 32) from the field, and winning the rebounding battle 23 to 13.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I thought we really defended hard and well,” Smith said. “I thought we really made them earn everything.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The Aggies opened the second half with some momentum. An Anthony floater and a Miller three put them up 31-25 with 16:49 to play. But then Texas Tech, who had been stymied by the Aggies gritty play in the first half, became unfazed.</p> <p dir="ltr">Backed by Mac McClung who finished with a game-high 16 points, the Red Raiders went on another 16 to 2 run to lead 41 to 33 with 13:06 to play.</p> <p dir="ltr">Utah State continued to turn the ball over, and Tech extended its lead to 49 to 35.</p> <div>The Aggies had an opportunity to get back into it late. Down just eight, Bean missed a free throw but USU got the offensive rebound. They had a chance to cut it to six with 7:36 to play.</div> <p dir="ltr">But they couldn’t get a bucket.</p> <p dir="ltr">Worster missed and Texas Tech proceeded to go on a 6 to 0 run and put the game out of reach.</p> <p dir="ltr">It’s the end of what proved to be a roller-coaster season for the Aggies.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s disappointing we lost, no question, there’s only one team that’s not disappointed at the end of the year and that’s the national champion,” Smith said. “We’ll live, we’ll learn from it, we only have two seniors in our program and there’s no doubt these guys will be back on the floor because we have a bunch of gym rats that love to play.”</p> <hr /> <p dir="ltr">@jacobnielson12</p> <p dir="ltr">—sports@usustatesman.com</p> </div> </div> <p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/lack-of-shooting-sends-usu-mens-hoops-home-from-the-ncaa-tournament/">Lack of shooting sends USU men’s hoops home from the NCAA Tournament</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>It Comes Full Circle: Aggies take on Aztecs in MW Final</title> <link>https://usustatesman.com/it-comes-full-circle-aggies-take-on-aztecs-in-mw-final/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Jacob Nielson]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sat, 13 Mar 2021 11:04:10 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[All]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Basketball]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Men's Basketball]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category> <category><![CDATA[aggies]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Craig Smith]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Marco Anthony]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Mountain West]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Mountain West basketball]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Neemias Queta]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Rollie Worster]]></category> <category><![CDATA[San Diego State]]></category> <category><![CDATA[USU hoops]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Utah State]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://usustatesman.com/?p=22113925</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>On March 7, 2020, Sam Merrill hit “the shot” over San Diego State to clinch Utah State’s second straight Mountain…</p> <p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/it-comes-full-circle-aggies-take-on-aztecs-in-mw-final/">It Comes Full Circle: Aggies take on Aztecs in MW Final</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On March 7, 2020, Sam Merrill hit “the shot” over San Diego State to clinch Utah State’s second straight Mountain West tournament championship and its second straight NCAA tournament appearance. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But six days later, elation turned into heartbreak, as the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancelation of March Madness and flipped the United States, and the world, on its head.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fast forward 371 days, our country has changed in a remarkable way. The virus has kept people in their homes and away from large gatherings. Millions of Americans have lost jobs, and over half a million have lost their lives. Most states issued a mask mandate. A vaccine was developed in record time. And oh, there is a new president in office. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But despite all the change, one thing remains the same: Aggies, Aztecs and the Thomas and Mack Center on a Saturday afternoon with a tournament championship and an automatic bid to the Big Dance on the line. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In USU’s 62-50 victory over Colorado State early in the morning of March 13, it was apparent that the Aggies are once again a top-two team in the conference. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The defense asserted its will and the offense managed to get it done. The leader of that was junior Neemias Queta, who finished with an astonishing 18 points, 14 rebounds and nine blocks. With the win, the Aggies will likely earn an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament in Indiana, regardless of what happens in the final. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But in the eyes of the team, the goal is the same as last year. Win the Mountain West tournament. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I don’t want to say accomplishment yet, we haven’t accomplished anything,” Queta said. “We have to go in there tomorrow and be ready to go and win. But it’s definitely good to be in the same spot last year.” </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Aggie’s journey to get back to the championship game hasn’t been easy. Merrill, one of the most prolific scorers in Utah State history, has graduated and is in the NBA. Two other starters, Abel Porter and Diogo Brito are graduated and have moved on as well. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The remaining roster all went their separate ways the summer of 2020, with some players — such as Portuguese native Queta — staying in Cache Valley, and others — such as Australian sophomore Sean Bairstow — returning to their home.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After months of uncertainty, the team regrouped in Logan in the fall and did what they could to prepare for the upcoming season. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Repping a newly structured back court consisting of junior transfer Marco Anthony and freshman guards Rollie Worster, Steven Ashworth and Max Shulga, the </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Aggies traveled to South Dakota for a thanksgiving weekend tournament for their opening games.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It didn’t go well. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">They fell to VCU and South Dakota State, losing by 16 and 24 points respectively before picking off Northern Iowa in the final game. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Days later, head coach Craig Smith tested positive for COVID-19 and was absent for the Aggies narrow defeat against Brigham Young. Soon, there was an outbreak within the program, and two games had to be canceled. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">At the end of December the group was finally back on the court and into conference play, and began to mold together as a unit. They strung together 11 straight victories — including back-to-back wins over SDSU — claiming the top spot in the conference and receiving votes in the AP top 25.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But then the struggles continued. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">They fell at home to Colorado State, giving up a then-season high 84 points. They followed that by traveling to Vegas and falling to UNLV 59 to 56, in a game where they shot just 32.8 percent from the field. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After winning the second UNLV game and then beating Fresno State, Utah State looked to get back on track. But COVID-19 reentered the picture, canceling its next three games.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">USU returned to action on Feb. 17, their first game in 13 days, to take on Boise State. Worster was out with a leg injury, and the defense lacked the stamina and tenacity it generally carried. They dropped both games, to fall to 14-7 overall and slipped from No. 1 to No. 4 in the conference standings. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But as teams coached by Smith often do, the Aggies started to get back on track in the final weeks of February and into March. They won four straight conference games to close out the season and once again earned the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We haven’t exactly had the easiest of times here the last six, seven weeks with some things that are out of our control,” Smith said. “Our guys have not flinched, they have just stayed the course, kept coming together, I don’t hear whining and complaining, (they) just deal with reality.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Aggies defense was effective all season, and multiple offensive threats have emerged. But in the past six games, they’ve taken their play to a new level, holding teams to 58.5 points, and have averaging 71.2 points per game. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We just have a really deep group, we don’t rely a lot on one person, like the last few years,” said Queta. “We had Sam Merrill, he was a great player for us, but this year is just a definition of a team, even more, I’d say.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This installment of the Aggies will meet an Aztec team in the final that boasts a 13-game win streak, not having lost since their trip to Logan. They also have the conference player of the year, senior Matt Mitchell, and coach of the year, Brian Dutcher. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It’s set up No. 1 vs. No. 2, just like last year. Despite the challenges, Utah State has the opportunity to reattain its goal and beat the Aztecs in the final for the third straight year, becoming kings of the conference and solidifying their spot in the NCAA tournament field — and this time play in it. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It’s all come full circle.</span></p> <hr /> <p>@jacobnielson12</p> <p>—sports@usustatesman.com</p> <p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/it-comes-full-circle-aggies-take-on-aztecs-in-mw-final/">It Comes Full Circle: Aggies take on Aztecs in MW Final</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>USU Men’s Hoops: Four Aggies receive Mountain West honors, Queta snubbed of POY Award</title> <link>https://usustatesman.com/usu-mens-hoops-four-aggies-receive-mountain-west-honors-queta-snubbed-of-poy-award/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Jacob Nielson]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 09 Mar 2021 22:10:40 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[All]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Basketball]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Men's Basketball]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Alfonso Anderson]]></category> <category><![CDATA[all-Mountain West]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Justin Bean]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Marco Anthony]]></category> <category><![CDATA[matt mitchell]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Mountain West]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Neemias Queta]]></category> <category><![CDATA[San Diego State]]></category> <category><![CDATA[USU hoops]]></category> <category><![CDATA[usu men's hoops]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Utah State Basketball]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://usustatesman.com/?p=22113890</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>The Mountain West men’s basketball coaches announced their 2020-2021 all-conference teams mid-day Tuesday, and several Aggies received honors. For the…</p> <p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/usu-mens-hoops-four-aggies-receive-mountain-west-honors-queta-snubbed-of-poy-award/">USU Men’s Hoops: Four Aggies receive Mountain West honors, Queta snubbed of POY Award</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Mountain West men’s basketball coaches announced their 2020-2021 all-conference teams mid-day Tuesday, and several Aggies received honors. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For the third straight season, junior center Neemias Queta was voted defensive player of the year, while also receiving first-team all-Mountain West honors. Junior forward Justin Bean was awarded second-team all-Mountain West honors, senior forward Alphonso Anderson was awarded MW Sixth Man of the Year, and junior guard Marco joined Queta on the MW defensive team. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite the accolades, Queta’s unprecedented season of dominance was not enough to win the most prestigious award: Mountain West Player of the Year, which went to senior Matt Mitchell of San Diego State.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Queta averaged 14.7 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. In conference play, he was No. 1 in the Mountain West for a defensive rating (27.9 percent), block percentage (14.2), No. 5 in effective field goal percentage (58.4), No. 6 in offensive rating (11.6 percent.), and No. 8 in offensive rating (116.7.) </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Portuguese big man was also the first player in MW history to average more than 14.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2.5 blocks per game. He is the only player in the nation with more than 65 blocks and 65 assists. He earned NCAA defensive player of the year by <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2934779-bleacher-reports-2020-21-mens-college-basketball-end-of-season-awards">Bleacher Report</a> and was voted Mountain West Player of the Year by a panel of media members.</span></p> <p><a href="https://twitter.com/rbritoreis/status/1368374093339373575"><span style="font-weight: 400;">https://twitter.com/rbritoreis/status/1368374093339373575</span></a></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Matt Mitchell averaged 15.4 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. He had a No. 22 best effective field goal percentage (53.3) and the No.19 offensive rating (109.3.) </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">USU play-by-play voice Scotty Gerrard had this to say: “</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">MWC Coaches give the Player of the Year Award to SDSU’s Matt Mitchell. I honestly can’t wrap my brain around this one. Neemias Queta should have won this award. But if not him, I would have selected Derrick Alston, Grant Sherfield, or David Roddy over Mitchell.”</span></p> <p><a href="https://twitter.com/ScottyGZone/status/1369363563853324290"><span style="font-weight: 400;">https://twitter.com/ScottyGZone/status/1369363563853324290</span></a></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anthony’s defensive team honors are well deserved. The transfer guard often defended the opposing team’s best scorers, holding 2021 newcomer player of the year Grant Sherfield to 8.5 points per game in two games, and MW freshman of the year Marcus Williams to four points and 2-8 shooting in the teams only matchup. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bean finished the regular season averaging 11.3 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. He recorded four straight double-double to close the regular season and earned MW Player of the Week Accolades last week. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anderson averaged 6.8 points and 2.7 rebounds off the bench for the Aggies. He scored double figures in seven games and three of the last four, including last week against Fresno State, where he scored 11 points and hit a go-ahead three-pointer with 1:34 to play. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Utah State takes on the winner of UNLV and Air Force in the Quarterfinals of the Mountain West tournament Thursday evening in Las Vegas. </span></p> <p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/usu-mens-hoops-four-aggies-receive-mountain-west-honors-queta-snubbed-of-poy-award/">USU Men’s Hoops: Four Aggies receive Mountain West honors, Queta snubbed of POY Award</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Aggies shake off shooting woes to take down Wyoming</title> <link>https://usustatesman.com/aggies-shake-off-shooting-woes-to-take-down-wyoming/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Jacob Nielson]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 05 Mar 2021 17:29:07 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[All]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Basketball]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Men's Basketball]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Craig Smith]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Justin Bean]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Marco Anthony]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Neemias Queta]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Steven Ashworth]]></category> <category><![CDATA[USU basketball]]></category> <category><![CDATA[usu men's hoops]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Utah State Aggies]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://usustatesman.com/?p=22113813</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>With Utah State’s best shooter, junior Brock Miller out with back issues, Wyoming came into Thursday night’s game with an…</p> <p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/aggies-shake-off-shooting-woes-to-take-down-wyoming/">Aggies shake off shooting woes to take down Wyoming</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="gs"> <div class=""> <div id=":nw" class="ii gt"> <div id=":nv" class="a3s aiL "> <div class="gmail_quote"> <div dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">With Utah State’s best shooter, junior Brock Miller out with back issues, Wyoming came into Thursday night’s game with an interesting strategy: Jam the box.</p> <p dir="ltr">Denying junior Neemias Queta from getting the ball in the paint was its main concern, and dare the Aggies to shoot from outside.</p> <p dir="ltr">Early on, the strategy seemed to work. Utah State started 0-10 from three the first ten minutes, Queta had zero points, and the Aggies trailed 19 to 12, 10 minutes into the ball game.</p> <p dir="ltr">But thanks to the sharp-shooting of freshman Steven Ashworth, and the efforts of junior Justin Bean, the offense got rolling and Utah State won the final home game of the season 72-59 over the Cowboys. The win guarantees a top three seed for the Aggies in next week’s Mountain West tournament.</p> <p dir="ltr">“They came out with a strategy we hadn’t seen yet this season…I think it messed with us to start the game,” Ashworth said. “We knew we had to come back, make a run on our own, and I think that’s exactly what we did.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The primary player the Cowboys left open at the start of the game was Bean. His defender was sagging off nearly to the restricted area. Being so wide open seemed to rattle him, as he missed three open jumpers to start the game.</p> <p dir="ltr">But as it often does, a hustle play got him and his team going. Down seven with 9:20 left in the first half, Bean dove on the floor after a loose ball corralled it and dished it to Worster. After a sequence of playground ball, Anderson got the ball back to Bean and Bean went up for the and-one layup.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true"> <p lang="en" dir="ltr">brb still not over that last play<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/15.0.3/72x72/1f440.png" alt="👀" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AggiesAllTheWay?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AggiesAllTheWay</a> <a href="https://t.co/RhBHqUi23m">pic.twitter.com/RhBHqUi23m</a></p> <p>— USU Men's Hoops (@USUBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/USUBasketball/status/1367669943290847234?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2021</a></p></blockquote> <p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p> <p dir="ltr">For the rest of the game, he found ways to the hoop and started to knock down mid-range jumpers. Bean finished 10 of 20 from the field for a game-high 21 points, plus 10 rebounds.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I think his game has really evolved and I think it helps us when he shoots,” said USU head coach Craig Smith. “I thought he self-corrected in a great way and just played the way he needs to play.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Ashworth — who finished with 13 points off the bench — was also a catalyst in getting the Aggies going early on. At the 9:05 mark in the first half, he hit Aggie’s first three of the game to cut the lead to just two. Moments later he drew a charge, forcing a Wyoming turnover, and then proceeded to hit a jumper from the elbow to tie the game at 22.</p> <div>In the second half, Ashworth stayed hot. He hit a three-pointer at both the 5:09 and 3:59 marks to extend the lead 70 to 54, putting the game out of reach.</div> <p dir="ltr">“With the way that they were defending us Bean was wide open, so we drew up a couple of plays for me to come off ball screens with Bean setting it which means there wouldn’t be a help defender because they were sinking in,” Ashworth said. “I kind of had the mindset that I needed to attack off that screen…It was fun to have some opportunities to make plays.”</p> <div>Also effective offensively in the second half was Queta. He shot 5 of 7 in the last 20 minutes, scoring 10 points. A Queta spin move on Wyoming freshman Graham Ike and an emphatic throwdown made the score 48 to 41 at the 14:21 mark.</div> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">KING QUETA <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/15.0.3/72x72/1f451.png" alt="👑" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /></p> <p><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/15.0.3/72x72/26a1.png" alt="⚡" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /><a href="https://twitter.com/nemi1599?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nemi1599</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AggiesAllTheWay?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AggiesAllTheWay</a> <a href="https://t.co/XCDuszhVXg">pic.twitter.com/XCDuszhVXg</a></p> <p>— USU Men’s Hoops (@USUBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/USUBasketball/status/1367682540551634944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2021</a></p></blockquote> <p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p> <p dir="ltr">The Aggies as a whole would finish the second half 15 of 29 (51.7 percent) from the field and 4 of 5 (80 percent) from three.</p> <p dir="ltr">Not only did Utah State have to figure out the offensive woes, but they also had to figure how to cool off the Cowboy’s hot-shooting. Missing Miller, arguably the Aggie’s most effective perimeter defender, the defense struggled early. Wyoming was 8 of 17 (47 percent) from beyond the arc in the first half, with junior Drake Jeffries hitting three of them.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Length on the defensive end to contest some of those shooters was something that we missed,” Ashworth said.</p> <p dir="ltr">But in the second half, adjustments were made and the Cowboy’s shooting was shut down. They hit just 1 of 14 threes (7.1 percent). The cold-shooting forced them to attack the rim, which was also ineffective, thanks to the presence of Queta. He finished with four second-half blocks, and helped in holding Wyoming to just 24 second-half points.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I loved how we played in the second half, holding them to 1-for-14 from 3,” Smith said. “We really guarded the ball well and made it difficult on them.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The Aggies now direct their attention toward the final regular season game of the year against the Fresno State Bulldogs, who they play on the road Saturday night.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We’ve got a lot of work to do, but I think our guys will be very focused,” Smith said. “Fresno State has been playing excellent basketball, just beat Boise State the other day, beat UNLV last week as well. We’ll have our work cut out for us.”</p> <hr /> <p dir="ltr">@jacobnielson12</p> <p dir="ltr">—sports@usustatesman.com</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/aggies-shake-off-shooting-woes-to-take-down-wyoming/">Aggies shake off shooting woes to take down Wyoming</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Aggies rout Wolf Pack, complete series sweep</title> <link>https://usustatesman.com/aggies-rout-wolf-pack-complete-series-sweep/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Jason Walker]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Wed, 03 Mar 2021 15:29:16 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[All]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Basketball]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Men's Basketball]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Brock Miller]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Craig Smith]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Justin Bean]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Marco Anthony]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Neemias Queta]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Rollie Worster]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://usustatesman.com/?p=22113762</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Following his team’s 21-point home win over Nevada on Sunday, Utah State head coach Craig Smith said it felt like…</p> <p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/aggies-rout-wolf-pack-complete-series-sweep/">Aggies rout Wolf Pack, complete series sweep</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="gs"> <div class=""> <div id=":wt" class="ii gt"> <div id=":y6" class="a3s aiL "> <div dir="ltr"> <p>Following his team’s 21-point home win over Nevada on Sunday, Utah State head coach Craig Smith said it felt like the team is “getting our footing back” as the postseason approaches.</p> <p>The Aggies’ 87-66 victory was just their fifth game in February; two of those were a pair of losses to Boise State last week that crushed USU’s regular season Mountain West title hopes. Smith said it’s hard to build rhythm when playing only as often as football teams, but USU appears to have done just that with a sweep of Nevada in this week’s two-game series.</p> <p>On Friday, the Wolf Pack made the Aggies sweat out a 75-72 win in the final minutes, but had no such luck in the rematch. Nevada made the first bucket of the game, but that 2-0 advantage would be its only lead of the night. Utah State surged ahead and built a double-digit lead thanks to its stifling defense.</p> <p>Utah State held each of Nevada’s top-scorers in check for the entirety of the game. Grant Sherfield, who averaged 18.9 points per game entering the week, scored just six and didn’t make a field goal until midway into the second half. Desmond Cambridge had just13 after lighting up the Aggies for 26 points on Friday.</p> <p>“We defended really, really well,” Smith said. “Our screen-and-roll defense I thought was excellent and that’s a big thing.”</p> <p>Senior forward Alphonso Anderson said the team’s identity lies in its defense. Getting back to that this week meant getting back to winning. Smith said the team lived up to his mantra of “eliminating losing.”</p> <p>“We made a lot of tough guy plays,” Smith said. “We made a lot of hustle plays. We got our hands on a lot of balls. We forced them into 19 turnovers.”</p> <p>The defensive hustle and the turnovers it created fed into the offense. Freshman guard Max Shulga recorded a career-high four steals. Each of those led directly to a shot attempt and resulted in seven total points.</p> <p>The 87 points on Sunday is the highest scoring output by the Aggies since Dec. 21, 2020. The often offensively challenged squad was able to inject energy into their game not only through its defense but also by sharing the ball extensively.</p> <p>At times USU moved the ball with a playground-type flair. One play saw Rollie Worster chase down a loose ball but, rather than pick it up, he threw the ball between his legs like a football center snapping the ball to a quarterback. The recipient, Shulga, played the part of QB well by then dishing a pass to Marco Anthony who was fouled on his ensuing shot.</p> <p>Thanks to the foul, that play didn’t wind up as one of Utah State’s 22 assists on the night, but many other flashy passes did. Neemias Queta, the benefactor of several of these passes, brought up multiple benefits to that type of ball-movement.</p> <p>“The defense is not expecting it,” Queta said. “And it brings a fun type of environment in the crowd. The crowd loves those types of passes and I feel like it gets us going at the same time because they’re big momentum plays.”</p> <div> <p>Queta finished with a game-high 26 points. It was his third game of 25-plus points in four tries. He also led the team in assists with six and was tied for the team lead with 13 rebounds.</p> <p>The great two-way play from Utah State led Smith to say his team put together a good 36 minutes of play. The only time Smith said he felt his team wasn’t on point came at the start of the second half. Nevada went on a 7-0 run that cut Utah State’s lead to 11 points. Smith called a timeout and shortly after USU stopped the bleeding. The lead soon ballooned back up to around 20 and stayed there for the rest of the night.</p> </div> <div> <div>Sunday’s game marked the end of the originally scheduled conference slate. The Aggies will play two make-up games in the upcoming week, first against Wyoming at home on Thursday and then a road game at Fresno State on Saturday.</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div></div> <div class="gs"> <div class=""> <div id=":wt" class="ii gt"> <div id=":y6" class="a3s aiL "> <div class="yj6qo"></div> <div class="adL"></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/aggies-rout-wolf-pack-complete-series-sweep/">Aggies rout Wolf Pack, complete series sweep</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>USU men’s hoops holds on to 75-72 win over Nevada</title> <link>https://usustatesman.com/usu-mens-hoops-holds-on-to-75-72-win-over-nevada/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Jacob Nielson]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sat, 27 Feb 2021 16:28:08 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[All]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Basketball]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Men's Basketball]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Craig Smith]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Justin Bean]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Marco Anthony]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Max Shulga]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Mountain West basketball]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Neemias Queta]]></category> <category><![CDATA[USU basketball]]></category> <category><![CDATA[usu men's hoops]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Utah State Aggies]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Utah State Basketball]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://usustatesman.com/?p=22113730</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>What looked to be a decisive Aggie victory eventually became a nail-biting finish Friday night in the Spectrum; but a…</p> <p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/usu-mens-hoops-holds-on-to-75-72-win-over-nevada/">USU men’s hoops holds on to 75-72 win over Nevada</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="gmail_quote"> <div class="gmail_attr" dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">What looked to be a decisive Aggie victory eventually became a nail-biting finish Friday night in the Spectrum; but a final half-court heave from a Nevada player sailed just short of the hoop, and Utah State held on to win the game 75-72 over the Wolfpack. </span></div> <div dir="ltr"></div> <div class="gmail_attr" dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">The win snaps a two-game losing streak and improves Utah State’s record to 15-7, 12-4 in Mountain West play. </span></div> <div> <div dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Playing their third game straight game without freshman guard Rollie Worster, the Aggie offense started to figure things out, scoring 64 points in the first 29 minutes of the game. The deficiencies that plagued them last week against Boise State — poor outside shooting and a one-dimensional offense — seemed to be fixed. Utah State shot 11 of 21 from beyond the arc and had multiple players besides junior center Neemias Queta step up.</p> <p dir="ltr">But thanks to Nevada guards Desmond Cambridge and Grant Sherfield — and a flurry of Aggie turnovers — the Wolfpack managed to cut a 64-46 point deficit at the 11 minutes mark to 71-69 with 31 seconds remaining.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We thought we really played very well in a lot of stretches tonight,” said USU head coach Craig Smith. “Obviously we did not finish the game at all like we wanted to but part of that you gotta credit Nevada…We’ve got to be able to finish these games better, but I thought we had a lot of good individual efforts all night long.”</p> <p dir="ltr">One laudable effort was that of junior Justin Bean. The scrappy forward always brings energy and intensity, but on Friday night he was extra effective offensively. Bean had a team-high 19 points on 7 of 13 shooting and shot 3 of 5 from beyond the arc. His 10 rebounds gave him his seventh double-double of the season. When Bean was at his best, the Aggies were at their best.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I thought tonight there were a lot of opportunities for me to knock down some shots,” Bean said. “If I’m doing that, if I’m just being aggressive, just trying to help our team however I can, it can take the pressure off of Neemy a little bit.”</p> <p dir="ltr">After a lengthy delay due to a game clock malfunction, both teams started the game ice-cold, the Wolf Pack shooting 1-6 and the Aggies 2-9. But Bean was a catalyst to get things going, hitting a three-ball at the top of the key to help break the ice.</p> <p dir="ltr">After nine minutes of back and forth play, the Aggies started to build their lead. Freshman guard Steven Ashworth — who finished with nine points — launched a three from deep and knocked it down to give USU a 14-13 lead with 11:05 to play in the half. On the ensuing possession, he stole the ball and found fellow freshman Max Shulga — who tied his career-high with seven points — down the court for an easy layup.</p> <p dir="ltr">Then, Bean started rolling, scoring back-to-back buckets, and the Aggies closed the half on a 30 to 12 run to lead 41-25.</p> <p dir="ltr">In the final 10 minutes of the first half and the first 10 minutes of the second half, USU outscored Nevada 48 to 33 and it was backed by 16 points from Bean during that span.</p> <p dir="ltr">Throughout most of the game, the defense on Sherfield — Nevada’s most dynamic player — was phenomenal. Junior guard Marco Anthony, and whoever else that would switch onto him, held him to just 5 points on four shots in the first half.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Marco I thought did a great job defensively guarding their best player and limiting him,” Bean said.</p> <p dir="ltr">The start of the second half was a similar story, junior Brock Miller — who finished with 10 points — hit back-to-back three; then Justin Bean hit back-to-back threes, and the Aggies led 57 to 38 with 15:08 to play.</p> <p dir="ltr">But the Aggie offense began to slow down, and their healthy lead began to diminish. Lackadaisical passes trying to feed the ball to Queta, and poor ball security resulted in nine second-half turnovers. Cambridge proved menacing on the other end, hitting 13 points on 5 of 10 shooting in the second half.</p> <div>“Way too many turnovers late in that game,” Smith said. “I think we had eight runovers in the last six and a half minutes it was a little bit of everything, especially feeding the post.”</div> <div dir="ltr"></div> <div dir="ltr">Beyond the turnovers, Utah State’s offense turned back into a one-dimensional version of itself, and anyone besides Queta seemed afraid to shoot the ball. Bean didn’t put up a shot in the final ten minutes.</div> <p dir="ltr">The Aggies still led by ten, 71 to 61 with 2:20 to play, but then Nevada got hot. Back-to-back threes from Sherfield and Cambridge cut it to four with 1:16 left. After a missed layup by Marco, Robby Robinson made a layup to cut it to two. A pair of free throws by Ashworth, followed by a Miller steal, and another Ashworth free throw made it 74 to 69.</p> <p dir="ltr">But the Wolf Pack still had life, as Daniel Foster hit a three to cut to two with five seconds left. After another missed Ashworth free throw, Nevada would throw up a prayer at the buzzer, but it fell short.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Aggies take on Nevada once again on Sunday at 5:00 P.M. in the Spectrum.</p> <hr /> <p dir="ltr">@jacobnielson12</p> <p dir="ltr">—sports@usustatesman.com</p> </div> </div> </div> <p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/usu-mens-hoops-holds-on-to-75-72-win-over-nevada/">USU men’s hoops holds on to 75-72 win over Nevada</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Column: Who’s USU men’s hoops’ last-second shot taker?</title> <link>https://usustatesman.com/column-whos-usu-mens-hoops-last-second-shot-taker/</link> <comments>https://usustatesman.com/column-whos-usu-mens-hoops-last-second-shot-taker/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Parker Ballantyne]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Wed, 24 Feb 2021 00:57:55 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[All]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Basketball]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Men's Basketball]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Craig Smith]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Jalen Moore]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Justin Bean]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Marco Anthony]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Neemias Queta]]></category> <category><![CDATA[rolllie worster]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Sam Merrill]]></category> <category><![CDATA[USU basketball]]></category> <category><![CDATA[usu men's hoops]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://usustatesman.com/?p=22113658</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>New look Aggie offense has left little to be desired but leaves a few questions unanswered. When the Aggies took…</p> <p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/column-whos-usu-mens-hoops-last-second-shot-taker/">Column: Who’s USU men’s hoops’ last-second shot taker?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">New look Aggie offense has left little to be desired but leaves a few questions unanswered.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When the Aggies took the court this past fall, uncertainty very much dictated how the season would play out. The ever-present threat of a season cancellation looming in the all-too-clear memory of the pandemic ravaging last year’s NCAA tournament and this year’s football season. Travel was all but guaranteed to be a logistical nightmare and infection rates seemed committed to causing last minute schedule changes. And of course, this was the first time in eight years that Utah State started a season without someone on the roster named Jalen Moore or Sam Merrill.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Among other things, such as having USU alumni parents, being lifelong Aggie fans, growing up in Utah, averaging over 15 points per game and eventually signing a contract with the Milwaukee Bucks — Jalen Moore and Sam Merrill had one thing in common: both established themselves as the clear go-to guy on the team. With the clock winding down in a close game, both Moore and Merrill made it very clear who was taking the last shot. They knew this of each other before they ever shared a court; Merrill had the unfortunate pleasure of watching Sky View High School senior Moore nail a half court shot at the buzzer to bounce Merrill’s Bountiful High School team from the state semifinals in 2013. Of course, it doesn’t take much to remember when Merrill himself was on the other side of that situation in Las Vegas in the final game of his senior year. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The void left by Moore’s departure was negated by the arrival of Merrill the year prior. The void left by Merrill, however, remains in question. In the closing moments of last season, Merrill showed us just how big that void would be, nailing a three-point jumper with just 2.6 seconds to go to break a tie and go up by three. That dagger left No. 4 San Diego State with the agony of defeat, but it served as a bittersweet reminder to Utah State that Merrill was leaving and with him would go the reliability fans had enjoyed for years.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Utah State head coach Craig Smith and his staff have navigated Merrill’s departure seamlessly. In fact, this season bears a striking resemblance to the previous two, with an identical record through 19 games for the third season in a row.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Merrill’s scoring role was, to say the least, significant. In both his junior and senior seasons Merrill was the only player to average over 15 points per game, with 20.9 and 19.7 respectively. His substantial scoring left a gap of 9.1 and 6.7 points per game between him and the next leading scorer on the roster in 2019 and 2020, respectively. This season, no player on the roster is averaging 15 or more per game, with junior center Neemias Queta leading the team at 13.5.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">All that being said, in addition to Smith’s exemplary leadership on the sidelines, players on the court have stepped up to bring this team through a potentially tumultuous transition. Brock Miller, Marco Anthony, Alphonso Anderson and Rollie Worster — among others — have been fighting hard to fill Merrill’s shoes in both raw offensive production and, when needed, clutch scoring. In the absence of a clear go-to in the clutch, there seems to be at least four options now that have the green light down the stretch. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Miller has put his sophomore slump completely in the rearview mirror, improving his three-point percentage by an astounding 12% in the offseason. He now leads the team with a 41.5% from deep with 44 threes already under his belt this season. Playing among the highest minutes on the team shows that the coaching staff clearly trusts his abilities and offseason improvements. Miller has already shown to be a problem for opposing defenses who can’t seem to figure out what to do with him. His off-ball movement combined with his lights-out catch-and-shoot game from deep range makes him a near-elite offensive guard and a major threat down the stretch.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anthony, a 2017 NCAA champion, has been every bit as good as promised. Quietly averaging 11.2 PPG, Anthony comes second only to Queta in team scoring. Anthony also boasts a 37% average from three-point land. A very cerebral guard, it is clear that Anthony worked hard under Smith during his redshirt year at Utah State. While people were constantly asking about him as he sat out last season, he was in the gym turning himself into an all-star guard with athleticism, a high basketball IQ and dual-threat abilities that he has finally been able to showcase this year.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anderson is the stuff of Aggie legends. Very few players exemplify “GATA” or “Nobody cares work harder” better than “Phonz”. For him to be able to stand out on a team that is well-known for work ethic and attitude is a special accomplishment in and of itself. Anderson has become an elite and important role player on this team. With only four starts his junior season, he was the only player to score 20 points in a game coming off the bench. Anderson has proven himself reliable and has earned trust, respect and playing time from his teammates and coaches. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Listed as a power forward, Anderson has a uniquely dangerous range, shooting 42% from the field and 39% from three this season. In addition to his shooting ability and unquantifiable hustle, Anderson has proven to have ice in his veins. He was an integral piece in the come-from-behind win against LSU in Jamaica last season and also changed the course of the championship game with two often overlooked back-to-back threes to put Utah State within one of No. 4 San Diego State. Those threes came with just over 12 minutes to go in a championship game where every point mattered. Later, with the Aggies down one, Anderson knocked down both of his free throws to tie and take the lead for the first time in the half and only the second time in the game.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Worster, a 6-foot-3 freshman out of Missoula, Montana, came to the team with expectations taller than himself. A two-sport athlete at Hellgate High School, Worster was a two-time Montana Gatorade Player of the Year and was all-state in both football and basketball. He looks the part, too. With 200 pounds of raw athleticism, Worster took no time introducing himself to the Mountain West by starting in the Aggies’ opening series. Leading the NCAA in starts as a freshman, Worster has shown he can be a solid facilitator, but also has a knack for scoring, averaging 9.6 points per game. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Simply put — when he has the ball, things look good for the Aggies.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There are other players whose games also demand some recognition, such as fellow freshman Steven Ashworth or Justin Bean. Ashworth has already proven to be a solid shooter with a 36.7% average from behind the arc. He was 3-6 from three with a team leading 17 points in game two of a sweep against San Diego State, a contest that came down to the wire. His 22 threes on the season currently puts his second to only Miller. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bean has been a staple for this team for two years and although he is better known as a defensive anchor and an acrobatic rebounder, he has also proven himself on the offensive end. His work ethic is responsible for large improvements between his freshman and sophomore year going from 4.1/3.8/.8 splits to averaging a double double with 11.9/10.5/2.1 last season. Across his 82 games as an Aggie, Bean has certainly become trustworthy on both sides of the ball. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As the season winds down and the Mountain West tournament approaches, games promise to be closer and Utah State is left to develop a game plan for closing out tight games. How much of this includes finding a go-to guy to take the last shot? It’s hard to say. One thing is certain however — this Utah State team is good. They haven’t missed a beat from last year to this year. As laid out by Jacob Nielson in his story — </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Protectors of Cache Valley</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> — this team is very good at defense. It’s a huge part of their identity.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If this team were in a situation in which they faced a tie game with just enough time for one shot left, it’s likely that with their suffocating defense they would perform better defending that shot than shooting it. Statistically speaking of course, that’s true. Buzzer beaters are missed more often than they are made, but their ability to lockdown a clutch shot is much more than that. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A lineup with Miller, Bean, Worster and Queta is a suffocating defense that has already shown the ability to dismantle top-notch offenses. Their full court press is overwhelming and debilitating, their half court defense is sturdy and, at times, impenetrable. They have an astounding ability to shrink the floor, defend the perimeter and protect the rim. Queta’s 3.1 blocks and 1.2 steals per game is unbelievable until you watch him in action. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While some view Utah State’s lack of a clear standout offensive threat as a hindrance, Smith and the Aggies have turned it into a weapon. If this team does get into an offensive jam, their wide-spread offensive load will be an advantage rather than a hindrance. With Merrill on the floor, defenses had the easy decision to put their best man on him, often even employing the double team. With this squad, defenses are forced out of a double team leaving each defender isolated and vulnerable. With the option of a double team essentially taken away completely, opponents have to pick and choose where they place their best defender. When a team is looking at a group full of guys with the green light, there is no right answer. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The bottom line is that this team is in good hands, no matter whose the ball is in. Coach Smith, through recruiting and player development has taught a valuable lesson about basketball. It’s a team sport. Basketball is bigger than any one player, even if their name is Jalen Moore or Sam Merrill.</span></p> <hr /> <p>@pshark14</p> <p>—sports@usustatesman.com</p> <p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/column-whos-usu-mens-hoops-last-second-shot-taker/">Column: Who’s USU men’s hoops’ last-second shot taker?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://usustatesman.com/column-whos-usu-mens-hoops-last-second-shot-taker/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>1</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>USU men’s hoops falls to Boise, despite career night From Queta</title> <link>https://usustatesman.com/usu-mens-hoops-fall-to-boise-despite-career-night-from-queta/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Jacob Nielson]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 18 Feb 2021 05:58:35 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[All]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Basketball]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Men's Basketball]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Aggie basketball]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Boise St.]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Brock Miller]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Broncos]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Craig Smith]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Derrick Alston]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Marco Anthony]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Neemias Queta]]></category> <category><![CDATA[USU]]></category> <category><![CDATA[USU hoops]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Utah State]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://usustatesman.com/?p=22113570</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Neemias Queta’s career-high 32 point performance on Wednesday night could’ve been one for the ages. But Utah State shot 3-16…</p> <p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/usu-mens-hoops-fall-to-boise-despite-career-night-from-queta/">USU men’s hoops falls to Boise, despite career night From Queta</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p dir="ltr">Neemias Queta’s career-high 32 point performance on Wednesday night could’ve been one for the ages. But Utah State shot 3-16 from three-point land and couldn’t get the necessary stops defensively down the stretch, making the Portuguese big man’s big night all for not.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Aggies lost the game to Boise State 79 to 70, relinquishing control of first place in the Mountain West and missing the opportunity for an NCAA tournament resume-building victory.</p> <p dir="ltr">With 5:06 left in the game, Aggie junior Marco Anthony hit a tough fade-away jumper, shaving a Boise St. lead to 65-64. From then on it was all Broncos. Junior Marcus Shaver Jr. made a deep three and followed it with an and-one layup. Just like that, it was a seven-point game with 4:10 to play, a lead the Aggies failed to cut into.</p> <p dir="ltr">“They made some big shots,” said USU head coach Craig Smith. “We had too many defensive breakdowns, specifically in that second half. It felt like we just couldn’t stop them…I don’t know if we ran out of gas or lost some discipline but (Boise St) scored 28 points on the (final) 18 possessions.”</p> <p dir="ltr">A failure to impose their will late defensively was a fatal blow because the Aggie offense was too one-dimensional to keep pace. Queta collecting the ball on the low block and dunking it or putting up a hook shot seemed to be the only thing going right.</p> <p dir="ltr">Junior Justin Bean and Anthony pitched in 10 and 11 points respectively but after Anthony’s jumper, nobody besides Queta could make a basket. USU’s best shooter, junior Brock Miller, was 1-6 from the field for just two points. Freshman Steven Ashworth, who started in place for the injured Rollie Worster, went 1-5 for three points.</p> <div>Smith admitted that the offensive struggles were “maybe a little bit,” of the problem, but mentioned that they scored 1.0 points per possession (70 points in 70 possessions) which “usually will get it done.”</div> <div></div> <div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: Arial;">USU and Boise shot remarkably even from the field, the Aggies 29-63 (46 percent) and the Broncos. 28-63 (44 percent), but the hosts hit five more threes and made six more free-throws.</span></div> <p dir="ltr">Beginning the game, the rust from a two-week layoff from playing showed for Utah State. The Aggies started just 2 for 6 from the field and had two turnovers, struggling to find their footing. Boise State won the battle down low early, outscoring the Aggies in the paint 14 to 6 in the first ten minutes and led 20 to 12 with 10:23 to play.</p> <p dir="ltr">USU switched to a hybrid two-three zone in an effort to shrink the floor and keep the Broncos in check. The switch seemed to shut down the interior scoring and helped the offense get started as well.</p> <p dir="ltr">Sophomore Sean Bairstow hit a huge three to cut the lead to five; and on the ensuing possession, shuttled the ball to Queta, who slammed it down to make it a one-possession game. USU would tie the game at 22 apiece with 8:55 left in the half.</p> <p dir="ltr">At that point, Queta seemed to get rolling. The Aggies were 8 for 12 from the field in the final 10:04 of the half. Queta had three of those buckets and added four made free throws, posting 14 points at the break. He finished the game 12-21 from the field and 8 of 9 from the charity stripe.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I just felt like it would be a good game for me to be aggressive,” Queta said. “I felt like I had an advantage in the post so I tried to take advantage and it just happened to be a good game for me.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Despite a strong first half finish, USU lead by just two, in large part to Boise St. senior Derrick Alston. The NBA prospect had 18 first half points and finished the game with 26 points.</p> <p dir="ltr">In the second half, Queta continued his dominance, throwing down an alley-oop from Ashworth to make the score 45-41 with 18:08, Utah State’s biggest lead of the game.</p> <p dir="ltr">Sophomore RayJ Dennis and Alston both responded with three-pointers for the Broncos to keep pace. At the 12:37 mark with the score tied at 51, Queta got called for a push-off, his third foul of the game, sending him to the bench. He’d come back at the eight-minute mark and stay for the remainder of the game.</p> <p dir="ltr">From the 9:47 to 5:06 mark USU would score just one bucket, yet trailed just one because of stout defense. But then it all fell apart.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Aggies have a chance for revenge on Friday, still in desperate need of a signature win.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We have another tremendous opportunity on Friday to play another quad-one game,” said Smith. “We’re still playing for a league championship (and) we’re still playing for a spot to get into the NCAA tournament. I know our guys will be locked in and fired up and ready to play again here in about 47 hours.”</p> <hr /> <p dir="ltr">@jacobnielson12</p> <p dir="ltr">—sports@usustatesman.com</p> <p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/usu-mens-hoops-fall-to-boise-despite-career-night-from-queta/">USU men’s hoops falls to Boise, despite career night From Queta</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Offense Breaks Down, USU Men’s Hoops Fall to UNLV</title> <link>https://usustatesman.com/offense-breaks-down-usu-mens-hoops-fall-to-unlv/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Jacob Nielson]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 26 Jan 2021 06:42:42 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[All]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Basketball]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Men's Basketball]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Aggie basketball]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Brock Miller]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Craig Smith]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Justin Bean]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Marco Anthony]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Neemias Queta]]></category> <category><![CDATA[UNLV]]></category> <category><![CDATA[USU hoops]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Utah State]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://usustatesman.com/?p=22113308</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>As the saying goes, whatever happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Unfortunately, the NCAA selection committee doesn’t see it that…</p> <p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/offense-breaks-down-usu-mens-hoops-fall-to-unlv/">Offense Breaks Down, USU Men’s Hoops Fall to UNLV</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="I_52qC D_FY W_6D6F" data-test-id="message-view-body"> <div class="msg-body P_wpofO mq_AS" data-test-id="message-view-body-content"> <div class="jb_0 X_6MGW N_6Fd5"> <div> <div id="yiv7758822706"> <div> <div class="yiv7758822706yahoo-style-wrap"> <div dir="ltr"> <div> <p dir="ltr">As the saying goes, whatever happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Unfortunately, the NCAA selection committee doesn’t see it that way.</p> <p dir="ltr">On a night where the offense looked completely disoriented, Utah State men’s hoops (12-5) shot their worst field goal percentage of the season (32.8) and fell to UNLV (6-6) 59 to 56, – a major set back for a team with aspirations for a conference championship and an at-large birth in the NCAA tournament.</p> <p dir="ltr">Down 57-48 with 1:17 to play, the Aggies went on an 8-2 run in a desperate attempt to come back, but a final heave by Steven Ashworth was blocked at the buzzer.</p> <p dir="ltr">“On the offensive end we gotta find a way to get better,” said head coach Craig Smith. “We got a lot of things whether it’s scheme or personnel…I dont know how many clean looks we had that we just couldn’t make, we just couldn’t make them, and then other times – we just forced the issue.”</p> <p dir="ltr">A primary cause of the woes was UNLV’s ability to limit junior Neemias Queta. Center Cheikh Mbacke Diong fronted Queta most of the night, holding him off the block and keeping him to just 3-9 from the field. With Queta out of the picture, the rest of the team struggled to step up, as the Aggies shot 5-22 (22.7 percent) from three and had 17 turnovers. Marco Anthony would lead the Aggies with 18 but was still inefficient, just 5-15 from the field.</p> <p dir="ltr">“If they’re going to face guard one guy then theoretically you’re playing four on four with the other guys which should always be the advantage to the offense,” said Smith. “But we didn’t make them pay…Other guys gotta step up to the plate.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Smith called the game “A tale of two halves,” an accurate assessment. The opening nine minutes was a two-man show for the Aggies, with Marco Anthony and Neemias Queta combing for 15 points while the rest of the team was 0-5 with zero points. USU held a lead a two-point lead at that point because they force ten Runnin’ Rebels missed shots on 15 attempts, including a tremendous chase-down block off the backboard from Queta.</p> <p dir="ltr">But backed by hot shooting from Rebel forward Moses Wood and guard Blake Hamilton, the Rebel offense got rolling. The hosts managed to find open looks for themselves hit 8 of 16 three-point attempts.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We just really couldn’t get stops and hold them to like what we’re capable of,” said Anthony. “They were getting a lot of easy looks.”</p> <p dir="ltr">USU found good looks as well, but couldn’t hit them, shooting just 3 of 13 from beyond the arch.</p> <p dir="ltr">“In the first half we had any three we wanted and just couldn’t throw it in the ocean,” said Smith.</p> <p dir="ltr">Seven offensive rebounds kept the Aggies competitive. With 2:42 remaining, Anthony followed a missed shot by ripping the rebound out of Mbacke Diong’s hands and dished it to junior Justin Bean for a layup. USU trailed 39-34 at the break.</p> <p dir="ltr">They opened the second half with a Brock Miller three-pointer, and it appeared things were turning in the Aggies favor. But moments later all of the scoring went to a screeching halt.</p> <p dir="ltr">From 15:56 to 3:56 to play, Utah State failed to make a field goal. They had plenty of opportunities. Sophomore Sean Bairstow had a steal and had a path for any easy bucket before inexplicably fumbling the basketball. Queta missed a point-blank putback. Nothing was falling.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We couldn’t get anything going,” said Anthony. “I feel like there were a lot of easy shots we missed, especially in the paint.”</p> <p dir="ltr">But despite the astonishing ineptitude offensively, USU found themselves with a chance late, thanks to their on ball defense, holding UNLV to 6 of 30 from the field in the second half.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I am proud of how we guarded in the second half,” said Smith. We guarded at a high high level made a couple of adjustments.”</p> <p dir="ltr">UNLV still found shots down the stretch that gave them a healthy lead. Guard Caleb Grill hit a three to go up 56 to 48 with 1:48 later. Moments later, Miller tried to intentionally foul UNLV guard David Jenkins Jr. and got called for a technical. Down nine with 1:19 remaining, it seemed all but over.</p> <p dir="ltr">But the Aggie clawed back. Anthony got fouled and hit two free throws. USU then proceeded to a full-court press and forced a turnover, resulting in a Bean layup that made the score 57-52 with 58 seconds to play.</p> <p dir="ltr">On the ensuing possession, UNLV’s Nicquel Blake missed a wide-open dunk, and Bean was fouled on the other end, hitting two free throws. Then, UNLV traveled, giving the Aggies the ball back, down one possession with 29 seconds to play.</p> <p dir="ltr">USU tried to get a shot for Miller out of a timeout but failed to execute and it blew up. Making something out of nothing, Anthony drove and got to the line, hitting two free throws and cutting it to one. Jenkins Jr. then hit two free throws with seven seconds remaining. Ashworth’s prayer at the buzzer was blocked by Wood.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The games never over until the final buzzer rings and we really value that,” said Anthony. “That run just shows the heart that we had, although we didn’t get it done we could’ve easily hung our head…but we just kept playing.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The Aggies will regroup and prep for game two against UNLV on Wendesday night.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="jb_0 X_6MGW N_6Fd5"></div> </div> <div class="H_7jIs D_F ab_C Q_69H5 E_36RhU" data-test-id="toolbar-hover-area"> <div class="D_F W_6D6F r_BN gl_C" data-test-id="card-toolbar"></div> </div> <p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/offense-breaks-down-usu-mens-hoops-fall-to-unlv/">Offense Breaks Down, USU Men’s Hoops Fall to UNLV</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> </channel> </rss>