LAS VEGAS, Nevada - Utah State senior forward Justin Bean knocked down two free throws with 12 seconds on the clock to tie the game at 51-51 on Thursday night in the Mountain West Championship Quaterfinals inside the Thomas & Mack Center. However, No. 2 Colorado State hit a game winner with less than two seconds on the clock on the next possession to give the Rams a 53-51 victory over the seventh-seeded Aggies.

The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for Utah State in conference tournament quarterfinals.

Bean finished the game with his 20th double-double of the season with 15 points and 13 rebounds. His rebounds increased his career total to 1,011 as he moved to second all-time in Utah State and Mountain West history. Bean is just the second player in the MW and third player in USU history to eclipse 1,000 rebounds in his career.

Bean was joined in double figures by fellow senior forward Brandon Horvath with a game-high 17 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the floor. Horvath also finished the game with eight rebounds and two assists.

Colorado State (25-4) jumped out to an early 9-4 advantage, as the five-point margin was the largest for either team during the contest, prompting a Utah State (18-15) timeout a little less than four minutes into the game. It wasn't until a Bean jumper with 10:25 on the clock that the Aggies took their first lead of the game, 17-16. Back-to-back baskets in the paint from Horvath and junior guard Sean Bairstow gave Utah State its largest lead of the game, 25-20, with 5:18 to play in the opening half.

CSU finished the stanza with a 9-0 run to take a 29-25 lead going into intermission.

Utah State opened the final 20 minutes with a run of its own, scoring the first six points of the half to take a 31-29 lead. The Aggies maintained the advantage until the Rams used a 6-1 run to take a 39-35 lead with a little more than 13 minutes to play.

Jones hit a jump shot with close to five minutes to go to give the Aggies a 45-44 lead, but the advantage swapped hands three more times with the Rams holding a four-point lead, 51-47, with less than a minute to play. Jones trimmed the CSU margin to two, 51-49, on the Aggies' next possession and the Aggies looked primed to tie the game when sophomore guard Steven Ashworth stole the ball and passed it ahead to Bean on the fast break. As two CSU defenders were stepping in front of Bean, officials called a charge to give the Rams the ball with a little more than 13 seconds to play.

Colorado State missed the front end of an ensuing one-and-one as Bean pulled down the rebound and was fouled, leading to a one-and-one for the Aggies. Bean calmly stepped to the line and knocked down both free throws to tie the game at 51-51 with 12 seconds to play before CSU ultimately hit the game winner with just over a second to play.

Utah State finished the game shooting 40.7 percent (22-of-54) from the floor, 6.7 percent (1-of-15) from behind the 3-point line and 66.7 percent (6-of-9) at the free throw line. Colorado State shot 42.6 percent (20-of-47) from the floor, 16.7 percent (3-of-18) from long range and 62.5 percent (10-of-16) at the free throw line.

Although projected to be in the NIT, Utah State will await its post-season fate when the NCAA and NIT field is announced on Sunday, March 13.

For more information on Utah State's men's basketball program, follow the Aggies on Facebook at usumensbasketball, on Twitter at @usubasketball and on Instagram at @usubasketball. Fans can also watch USU men's basketball highlights by visiting youtube.com/utahstateathletics.