Dec 4, 2001

Final Stats

LOGAN, Utah (AP) - Desmond Penigar scored 14 points and Tony Brown added 13 as Utah State held off Montana State 60-55 Tuesday night.

The Aggies (5-0) knocked off the Bobcats (2-4) for the second time this season and ran their home-winning streak to 26 games despite committing 13 turnovers in the first half.

Utah State trailed by as many as 10 points in the first half, but wrapped a 12-0 run around halftime to take a 35-33 lead four minutes into the second half. With Penigar, the team's leading scorer, in foul trouble, the Aggies were unable to pull away.

Utah State held its biggest lead of the game, 56-49, with just under a minute left. But 3-pointers from Jason Erickson and Casey Reynolds got the Bobcats back to within 57-55 with 23 seconds to go. Two free throws from Ronnie Ross and one from Chad Evans kept the Aggies at bay.

Erickson went 6 for 9 from the field on his way to 14 points for Montana State, while James Clark finished with 10.

Penigar, who picked up his fourth foul with 13:10 remaining, played just 20 minutes, but went 6 of 10 from the floor and 2 of 2 from the line. Brown finished with three 3-pointers and five assists. Ross chipped in 10 points.

Utah State was averaging 24 free throws a game coming into the contest, but ended up just 7 of 11 for the game.

The Aggies shot 49 percent from the field while holding Montana State just under 40 percent. The team out rebounded the Bobcats 33 to 25.

Utah State won the first meeting of the season between the two schools 65-51 in Bozeman on Nov. 17.