USU basketball runs through Omaha in dominant performance

Utah State basketball took home its second win of the season with its 90-56 blowout of the University of Omaha. The Aggies dominated the game on both sides of the court, limiting the Mavericks to only a 29% field goal percentage on the night.

The Aggies started the game shooting well out of the gate, with scoring seven points in the opening three minutes of the matchup. The defense was slower to get going, allowing the Mavericks to score six points early to keep the game close. 

At the 15-minute mark, the Aggies took their first timeout and seemed to figure out their defensive strategy, as they went on a 15-2 run coming out of it. 

Solomon Callaghan made an immediate impact, nailing two threes to get the Aggie offense rolling, beginning the team’s run. He would crash to the rim for another two points to keep the scoring going. Callaghan’s performance was his best of the season so far after a slow start in the pre-season matchups.

“He’s one of the hardest workers I’ve ever been around. He’s constantly in the gym in the early mornings, in the late nights, and he was just going through a little bit of a stretch where the ball wasn’t going in,” Hall said. “The dude has one of the best jumpers in the country, and I think you guys are starting to see that. For us, this is what we expect and what we’ve seen.”

The defense came alive as well following the timeout, forcing seven turnovers after the timeout. USU’s defenders swarmed Omaha’s offense, forcing not only turnovers but preventing the Mavericks from finding the basket, as Omaha went 3-for-17 in the final 14 minutes of the first half. Entering the half, the Aggies led 44-21.

“They made some tough shots, so we had to tip our hat, but there were some things that we wanted to clean up, so that they weren’t getting as easy of looks early on in possessions,” graduate guard Dallin Hall said. “Then it was rebounding as well. We make teams shoot tough shots, and we rebound.”

The Aggies were hot out of the gates in the second half, going on a 9-2 run through the first five minutes of the half, extending their lead to 30 points. Falslev would score six quick points, followed by another Callaghan three-pointer, his third of the night.

The defensive pressure continued in the second half as the Aggies forced three more turnovers before an early timeout. The Mavericks would only shoot one for seven in the first minutes of the half, setting the pace for the rest of the day.

Throughout the remainder of the afternoon, the Aggies would keep their foot on the gas, finding their stride from three along the way. Led by Callaghan, who finished the night with four threes, the Aggies combined for eight made three-pointers, with five different players making a three in the game. Their 38% from beyond the arc is the best three-point performance of the season thus far, something the team feels they can keep up moving forward.

“I believe that we are going to be a very good three-point shooting team this year because the guys put a lot of time in. I see it every day,” head coach Ben Jacobsen said. “Our guys have all have their times. They come in on their own in the mornings; we’re able to be in there with them as coaches, rebound for them, and be around them.”

By the end of the game, the Aggies had tacked on another 46 points, winning the game 90 to 56. The win was highlighted by Falslev’s performance, who not only led the Aggies in scoring, but in rebounds and tied for assists as well. With his performance, Falslev also scored is 1500th career point. Graduate guard Dallin Hall also reached a career milestone, as his eight points helped him reach 1000 career points. 

The Aggies are now 2-0 on the season and will face Utah Tech on Tuesday in Logan, followed by UC San Diego on Friday.