Dec. 31, 2008

Box Score | Photo Gallery

LOGAN, Utah - Wednesday night's finale of the Duel in the Desert, sponsored by Gossner Foods was a doozy, as Utah State beat Wyoming, 90-85, in overtime, at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.

USU improved to 12-1 on the season with the win, capturing the tournament title with a 3-0 record. The Cowboys are now 11-3 overall after having their two-game winning streak snapped with the loss.

The Aggies also moved to 34-1 all-time in tournaments it hosts, after posting a 26-0 ledger in the Gossner Foods Holiday Classic (1994-2007) and 5-1 in the Big Blue Classic (1971-72, 1982). The lone loss was at the hands of Wyoming on Dec. 28, 1971 by a 92-85 final score in the championship game of the 1971 Big Blue Classic and the Aggies avenged that loss Wednesday.

Utah State is now 23-43 vs. Wyoming all-time, including 6-3 in known home games.

USU junior guard Jared Quayle was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament and was joined on the all-tournament team by Aggie teammates senior forward Gary Wilkinson and sophomore forward Tai Wesley. Wyoming's Brandon Ewing and Tyson Johnson were also selected, in addition to Houston Baptist's Gordon Watt.

Quayle led USU Wednesday night with his second double-double as an Aggie, tying a game-high as well as logging a new career-best with 24 points to go with a game-high 10 rebounds. Wilkinson tallied 20 points and eight rebounds while Wesley added 18 points and six boards. Sophomore guard Tyler Newbold tossed in 15 points, hitting three three-pointers.

Johnson led five Wyoming players in double-figures, matching Quayle with 24 points, while Brandon Ewing tallied 20 points, 16 after halftime, including a three-pointer at the regulation buzzer to force OT. Sean Ogirri added 15 points while Afam Muojeke tossed in 12 points and Adam Waddell notched 10 points. Djibril Thiam pulled down a team-leading eight rebounds as Wyoming had a 36-35 rebounding edge, including 17 on the offensive glass.

Utah State improved to 49-39 all-time in overtime games, including 22-9 at home.

The Cowboys were ahead 72-68 with 2:57 to play after consecutive Johnson layups but a tip-in from Quayle, followed by two free throws each from Wesley and Wilkinson gave USU a 74-73 lead.

Quayle hit a pair of shots from the charity stripe with 4.1 seconds left before Ewing's long three-pointer from the top of the arc as the buzzer sounded to force OT.

Two free pitch shots from Wilkinson and a layup from sophomore guard Pooh Williams gave the Aggies an 80-76 lead in the extra frame and they never looked back. A layup from Ewing drew the Cowboys to 82-80 at the 2:29 mark, but Newbold drained a trey from the top of the arc for a five-point cushion and USU prevailed.

Wyoming stormed out to a 14-8 lead in the first five minutes of the game, making seven of their first nine shots. USU later trailed, 19-15, before going on a 12-2 run, capped by a Wesley layup.

The Aggies took a 36-31 lead into intermission and were ahead for a good portion of the second half until the Cowboys took a 55-54 lead with 9:52 on the clock after a three-pointer by Ogirri, setting up the back-and-forth battle to the end of regulation.

USU ended the night shooting 56.4 percent (31-of-55) from the floor, hitting just 3-of-12 (25.0 percent) of its three-pointers, all by Newbold. The Aggies also were 25-of-32 (78.1 percent) at the free throw line.

Wyoming was 33-of-72 (45.8 percent) field goal shooting and were 8-of-20 (40.0 percent) behind the arc, as Ogirri and Ewing made three each. At the free throw line, the Cowboys were 11-of-16 (68.8 percent).

Utah State concludes its five-game home stand on Monday, Jan. 5 when the Aggies open Western Athletic Conference action against Idaho. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m.

USU basketball tickets are available online 24 hours a day at www.UtahStateAggies.com and clicking on "tickets" in left column, or by phone by calling 1-888-USTATE-1 or (435) 797-0305.

Utah State basketball games are broadcast on KVNU (610 AM) and KLZX (95.9 FM) in Logan, Utah, KFAN (1320 AM) or ESPN Radio (1230 AM) in Salt Lake City and KLZX (105.3 FM) in Montpelier, Idaho, as well as on the internet at www.UtahStateAggies.com. Al Lewis serves as the play-by-play announcer, while Rod Tueller serves as the analyst during home games.