Nov 24, 2001

Final Stats

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Desmond Penigar scored 14 of a career-high 22 points in the first half, and Utah State shot 61 percent from the field to beat Utah 78-65 Friday.

Utah (2-1) led for only 3:29 of the game as Utah State (2-0) hit 27 of 44 shots.

Travis Spivey scored 18 points, Britton Johnsen added 13 and Nick Jacobson had 11 to lead Utah, but no other player scored more than six.

The win was the first for Utah State at Utah since 1991. The Aggies have now won three of their last four against the Utes. Utah State won the hustle battle, out rebounding Utah 32-21 and scoring 20 second-chance points to Utah's seven.

Trailing 37-24 at the half, Utah rallied behind its defense, cutting Utah State's lead to seven with 13:42 to play. But the Aggies responded, using a 16-7 run over the next 6:30 to go up 61-45 with 7:14 left in the game.

After a Utah 3-pointer cut the lead to 13, Utah State hit back-to-back shots in the post to open its biggest lead, 65-48, with 5:14 to go. Utah made a late run to get as close as five points, but Utah State went 9-of-11 from the line in the final 1:32 to clinch the win.

When Utah State has led at halftime, they have won 66 of their last 68 games. Utah State also improved to 14-3 in the month of November under coach Stew Morrill, in his fourth year at Utah State.

The loss marked only the 11th time a Rick Majerus-coached Utah team has lost at home in 160 games.