Final Stats

March 15, 2003

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -Cardell Butler scored five points in the final seconds as Utah State overcame a 15-point deficit to beat UC Irvine 62-55 in the semifinals of the Big West Conference tournament Friday night.

The third-seeded Aggies (23-8) will make their fourth consecutive appearance in the tournament final and will play No. 4 seed Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Saturday night.

Cal Poly beat No. 1 seed UC Santa Barbara in the tournament's other semifinal.

UC Irvine (20-9), the No. 2 seed, scored only one point in the final seven minutes of the game.

The teams were tied at 55 when Butler drove the lane for a 5-foot jumper with 35 seconds to play.

Irvine's Mike Hood missed a 3-point attempt with 27 seconds left and the Aggies' Spencer Nelson grabbed a crucial rebound that finished off the Anteaters.

Utah State's Desmond Penigar led all scorers with 24 points. Butler finished with 12 points.

Hood led UC Irvine with 14 points.

UC Irvine held a 32-17 lead with 4:25 left in the first half and a 45-35 lead with 13:41 to play, but Utah State took a 55-54 lead on Toraino Johnson's free throw with 4:42 remaining.