USU ends losing streak, beats Aztecs
LOGAN – Utah State Basketball needed a win. They had lost four straight conference games, two of which came on the last shot of the game, and five out of their last six. Their backs were against the wall.
On Wednesday night in the Spectrum, the Aggies delivered, defeating Mountain West riveal San Diego State 75-57 to get back in the win column.
USU was led by junior Steven Ashworth who had 17 points and five rebounds in a team-leading 36 and a half minutes.
“He’s a great leader; He believes in himself,” head coach Ryan Odom said on Ashworth after the game. “He’s got the proper attitude, he’s just a confident, positive person. When you have that in your program it’s contagious.”
Utah State, who had been struggling with the long ball as of late, hit 10 threes on nearly 42% shooting from deep. Ashworth contributed to that column significantly, hitting five threes on 50% shooting.
The Aggies started fast, leading the majority of the first half, and took a one-point lead into the break. Two of their previous four losses came in games where they had a lead at halftime. For a team with recent second-half struggles, it seemed the script was already written. The Aggies put their woes to rest and started the second half with a 13-2 run to give them a 12-point lead.
With 1:36 left in the game, the Aggies found themselves up by 11 and looking for the final dagger to put away the rival Aztecs. They found it in the form of a backdoor pass to Sean Bairstow who threw down a two-handed dunk and flexed to the crowd all the way down the floor. There was no looking back from there as the Aggies charged on the give the Aztecs their largest loss since 2019.
“We were just sick and tired of losing,” forward Brandon Horvath exclaimed. “We were just saying ‘nothing’s going to stop us from winning tonight’. Just feels really good to get off that losing streak.”
Utah State had 19 assists. According to coach Odom, their quick ball movement was part of the game plan to combat the speed and athleticism of San Diego State.
“Yeah, we wanted them chasing us,” Odom says. “Certainly, it’s been a big emphasis for us over the last week and a half.”
Another weapon the Aggies used was getting the ball moving quickly in transition. Moving the ball quickly up the court kept the Aztecs off-balance and created opportunities for easy transition points.
Despite missing guard Rylan Jones with a concussion and the continued absence of senior Brock Miller, the Aggies clicked on all cylinders for what feels like the first time in weeks. They found ways to score in numerous ways and from numerous sources that found four Aggies with double-digit points. With their first big home win of the season, the Aggies may have gotten their season back on track.
Next up, Utah State will travel to take on a hot Nevada team on Saturday night at 8 pm.