by: Wade Denniston, USU Athletic Media Relations
LOGAN, Utah – Five seconds. That's the amount of time Fresno State held the lead Wednesday night against Utah State, but it was those five seconds that mattered most as the Aggies lost in heartbreaking fashion, 78-77, at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.
The Bulldogs' Braxton Huggins hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with five seconds remaining to cap Fresno State's come-from-behind victory over Utah State (11-5, 1-2 Mountain West). The 6-foot-4 redshirt senior guard led all scorers in the game with 33 points on 12-of-21 shooting from the field, including 8-of-13 from beyond the arc.
Utah State's top two scorers on the night were junior guard
Sam Merrill and freshman center
Neemias Queta, who had 16 points apiece. Queta finished one rebound shy of a double-double, to go along with a career-best six blocks.
Following Huggins' late-game heroics for the Bulldogs (12-3, 3-0 MW), the Aggies still had time to answer, but Merrill's potential game-winning 3 was off the mark.
Sophomore guard
Abel Porter added a career-high14 points off the bench as the Utah State reserves outscored Fresno State's bench, 22-4. Redshirt freshman guard
Brock Miller had 11 points and senior forward
Quinn Taylor tallied 10 points for Utah State, which suffered its first home loss of the season.
After torching the Bulldogs from the field in the first half, shooting 60.0 percent (15-of-25), Fresno State clamped down on the defensive end in the second half and held USU to just 41.7 percent shooting (10-of-24). For the game, the Aggies shot 51.0 percent (25-of-49), including 6-of-20 from beyond the arc (30.0 percent).
Utah State also went to the free throw line 30 times on the night – five times more than Fresno State – but connected on just 21 of those freebies (70.0 percent).
Prior to Wednesday night, the Aggies had won three straight games against the Bulldogs, but still lead the overall series 35-25, including 26-8 at home.
Utah State shared the ball well on Wednesday, recording 21 assists on the 25 made baskets. Sophomore guard
Crew Ainge had a career-best five helpers, while Merrill, Porter and junior guard
Diogo Brito had four apiece.
The Aggies came roaring out of the gates, scoring nine of the game's first 11 points, ignited by an alley-oop dunk by Queta off of a pass from Ainge on the opening basket.
Utah State led just 26-23 after Fresno State's Sam Bittner drilled a 3-pointer with 5:45 remaining in the opening half, but the Aggies responded with a 9-0 run to open up its largest lead of the night, 35-23.
The Aggies went into the break leading 38-30.
USU led 70-63 with 5:10 remaining in the game, but Huggins ignited the Bulldogs' comeback when he hit a 3-pointer at the 5:02 mark. In fact, Fresno State's guard went 3-for-3 from beyond the arc down the stretch.
Utah State will return to the court on Saturday, Jan. 12, when the Aggies take on Wyoming in Laramie, Wyo. The game, which is scheduled to tip at 4 p.m., will be televised on AT&T SportsNet.
Utah State men's basketball news and information is available on Facebook (facebook.com/usumensbasketball), on Twitter (@usubasketball) and on Instagram (@usubasketball). Fans can also get USU men's basketball highlights on YouTube (youtube.com/utahstateathletics). Aggie fans can follow the Utah State athletic program on Twitter (@usuathletics), on Facebook (facebook.com/usuathletics) or on Instagram (@usuathletics).
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