Utah State caged the Bulldogs in tourney OT
LAS VEGAS – It took overtime, but the Utah State University’s men’s basketball team beat Fresno State University, 87-75.
The game, which guarantees a spot for the Aggies in the semi-finals, took place Thursday afternoon in the Thomas and Mack Center as their first game in this year’s Mountain West Conference tournament.
The day before the game, head coach Danny Sprinkle said, “They have our guys’ respect. Everybody in the whole league has all year.”
Mason Falslev did not play in the game because of an injury.
“After pregame meal I met with him,” Sprinkle said. “He didn’t think he could go today.”
His participation in the rest of the tournament is up in the air according to Sprinkle.
“I don’t expect him to play tomorrow, to be honest. I hope he does,” Sprinkle said.
Fresno State won the tip-off, but USU got the first points of the game with a jumper from Josh Uduje.
Isaac Johnson received a technical foul two and a half minutes into the game. Johnson then made a layup, before coach Sprinkle subbed Kalifa Sakho in.
Great Osobor landed a lay-up for an and-one, while Javon Jackson kept the Aggies’ head above water in the first half with a couple of deuces. Jackson, who turned 22 today, said that when the team knew starter Falslev would not play today, he was ready to step in.
“I think I played well,” Jackson said. “I know somebody had to come and pick it up because we were missing Mason today. So I decided to do that. Coach has been telling me all season, just be ready.”
Sprinkle said that Jackson’s early work in the first half, along with some threes he hit later in the game, worked to bring in the Aggie win.
“We don’t even come close to winning that game without Javon,” Sprinkle said. “The joker just steps up, man. I told him a couple of weeks ago, every time he shoots, I feel like he’s going to make it, and I really do. He just has great touch. He’s just got — when the moment is big, he is one of those guys that wants the ball.”
Later in the first half, guard Darius Brown II threw to Karson Templin for an alley-oop dunk destined for the highlight reel. Brown II scored his first points of the game with 2:36 left in the half. He then scored another two about a minute later to tie it up with the Bulldogs at 33 a piece.
At the half, the scoreline was 36-35, with the Bulldogs leading.
The Aggies hadn’t made a single three entering the half at a statline of 0 for 9 threes.
“The first 20 minutes of any tournament is just the hardest,” Sprinkle said.
Aggies got the ball to start the second half. Enoch Boakye from FSU committed his fourth foul quickly in the first minute of the second half. Bulldog Xavier Dusell also drew his fourth personal foul in the first three minutes of the second half.
The first USU three-pointer made was shot by Johnson, to the applauding alligator claps of the HURD.
Leo Colimerio also received his fourth personal foul. This put three Bulldogs in the dog-house with foul trouble with 15:41 left in the half.
Brown II made a deep three just before the shot clock in the second half. It was his first of three three-pointers of the night.
Boakye and Isaiah Pope fouled out after Osobor drew fouls on them. Osobor shot 24 of the team’s 36 free-throws which resulted in 15 points for him – half of his total points for the game.
“If you play hard, the game will reward you,” Osobor said.
Throughout the game, Utah State’s HURD section far out-cheered Fresno State’s simple pep band and small clusters of fans. The stadium was on its feet at the end of the second half, when the game went into overtime knotted at 70.
“I felt like our aggressiveness, especially in the second half, was much better,” Sprinkle said.
In overtime, the Aggies flipped a switch and outscored the Bulldogs 17-5.
“We were just prepared,” Jackson said. “As soon as we seen it was going to OT, we thought, yeah, we’re finna take this and dominate.”
Sprinkle said when the game gets close, he knows his team can get through it.
“They keep finding ways to get it done,” Sprinkle said.
Osobor said that the team thrives in close games like this one.
“It’s high-level basketball. We tend to thrive in close games,” Osobor said. “I’m happy for our team’s resiliency and the way that we stick together in close games.”
The Aggies’ next game is Friday at 6:30 p.m. Pacific.