LOGAN, Utah – In a battle between two of the top three teams in the Mountain West men's basketball standings, Utah State (22-3, 12-2 MW) earned a wire-to-wire victory, defeating Colorado State 93-85 Tuesday evening at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.
In what was the team's highest-scoring performance in nearly three months, the Aggies never trailed, propelled by double-digit scoring outings from five different players while two more finished the night with nine points. USU's 93 points were the most scored by any team against Colorado State this season, who entered the night with the league's third-best scoring defense.
Everything was falling for Utah State early in this one, as it had eight points on the board before Colorado State had taken its first shot. The Aggies hit each of their first seven 3-pointers of the night and 11 of their first 15 shots overall to take command of the game early. It took just seven minutes for USU to stretch the lead to 20 points, going up 27-7 before the second media timeout.
Things evened out as the visitors found their shooting rhythm and earned trips to the free throw line. A 12-2 run for the Rams narrowed Utah State's lead to as few as 12 points, but the Aggies remained in control throughout the half, taking a 45-30 lead into the locker room at the break. Sophomore guard
Mason Falslev played a major role in the team's early dominance, scoring 16 of his team-high 22 points in the first 20 minutes, while shooting 6-of-8 from the floor and 4-of-5 from deep.
In the second half, CSU caught fire from deep, making 10 3-pointers after the break, but Utah State remained firmly in control throughout. The Aggies remained in front by double-digits until the final minute of the contest. In total, USU led for 39:37.
Along with efficient shooting, Utah State capitalized on outstanding ball movement and ball control, assisting on 20 of its 32 made shots while committing just six turnovers in the contest. Graduate guard
Drake Allen led the way in the assist column with six helpers, followed closely by Falslev's five.
Joining Falslev in double-figures in the scoring column were senior forward
Aubin Gateretse, who went 7-for-7 from the field for 16 points to go along with a team-high six rebounds and four assists, fifth year guard
Ian Martinez, who finished with 14 points, and graduate guards
Dexter Akanno and
Deyton Albury, who scored 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Utah State finished the game shooting 59.3 percent (32-of-54) from the floor, 52.2 percent (12-of-23) from behind the 3-point arc and 56.7 percent (17-of-30) from the free throw line. Colorado State shot 45.5 percent (25-of-55) from the field, including 39.4 percent (13-of-33) from 3-point range and 81.5 percent (22-of-27) at the charity stripe.
UP NEXT
Utah State will now hit the road to take on New Mexico in a battle between No. 1 and No. 2 in the Mountain West standings on Sunday, Feb. 16. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.
SEASON TICKETS
There are a limited number of tickets available for all remaining home games. To purchase visit utahstateaggies.com/tickets.
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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