CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Utah State men's basketball responded to its first loss of the season with a resounding road win, dominating Charlotte in a 79-53 victory Sunday afternoon at Halton Arena to improve to 8-1 on the year.
The Aggies capitalized on suffocating defense throughout, collecting 12 steals and scoring 29 points off of 19 forced turnovers. Junior guard Mason Falslev led the defensive charge with four steals, his sixth game with three or more steals in nine outings this season.
Falslev also led Utah State's scoring efforts, as he went for 22 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the field and a perfect 8-of-8 effort at the free throw line, while bringing down five rebounds and dishing out a team-best six assists.
After getting off to a sluggish start for the second-straight game, Utah State quickly faced an eight-point deficit seven minutes in, scoring just seven points during that stretch while opening the game 1-of-9 from the floor to trail 15-7. An 8-0 run in response by the Aggies evened the contest, then once USU took its first lead of the game with 8:34 left in the half, it never trailed again.
Seven-straight points from junior forward Karson Templin helped the Aggies gain separation after taking the lead, as he would go on to score 12 points in the first half, one of three USU players to do so along with Falslev and senior guard MJ Collins Jr. Utah State established a 14-point lead by the break, scoring 12 of the half's final 14 points and making 13 of its final 18 shots to take a 44-30 advantage at the half.
The second half was more of the same, as Utah State continued to impose its will. The Aggie defense tightened up even further, limiting the 49ers to just 33 percent (9-of-27) shooting in the final 20 minutes while causing 10 turnovers. The scoring margin gradually increased throughout the half, peaking at a 28-point USU advantage before finishing at 79-53.
Collins Jr. finished the day with 18 points, shooting 7-of-13 from the field and 4-of-5 at the charity stripe, while also tallying three boards, three assists and three steals, matching his season high.
While the Aggie defense recorded 12 steals, the Aggie offense turned the ball over just six times and did not allow Charlotte a single steal. This was the first time since 2017 that a USU opponent recorded zero steals in a game.
48 of Utah State's points came in the paint, while the Niners scored just 20 points down low. The Aggies also out-scored the Niners on fast breaks 18-3.
In total, Utah State shot 50.0 percent (29-of-58) from the floor, 23.8 percent (5-of-21) from 3-point range and 84.2 percent (16-of-19) at the charity stripe. Charlotte shot 35.3 percent (18-of-51) from the field, 22.2 percent (6-of-27) from behind the arc and 55.0 percent (11-of-20) at the free throw line.
UP NEXT
Utah State will return to the Beehive State next week to face Illinois State at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Dec. 13. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m, and the game will be streamed on YouTube.
TICKETS
Season tickets for the 2025-26 men's basketball season have sold out. Fans can purchase single game tickets for available remaining games here. A waitlist for 2026-27 season tickets is now available here.
FOLLOW
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.
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