FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Utah State men's basketball returned to the win column Friday night at Moby Arena, using a 13-point second-half comeback to defeat Colorado State 65-61. With the win, the Aggies sweep the two-game regular season series against the Rams for the first time since 2020.
The Aggie defense was on full display, limiting the Rams to just 61 points including just 26 in the second half. This was CSU's second lowest-scoring effort of the season, only behind the first meeting when Utah State limited it to just 58 points.
Utah State was led by a 20-point effort by senior guard MJ Collins Jr., who hit the 20-point mark for the 10th time this season. 17 of his points came in the second half.
While the Aggie defense did a nice job of creating turnovers in the first half, forcing 10, Utah State struggled to slow down the Ram offense which shot a blistering 68 percent from the floor in the first 20 minutes, including 55 percent shooting from behind the 3-point arc. USU created looks, taking nine more shots than Colorado State in the first half, but made just 11 of its 28 shots.
Just three Colorado State players scored in the first half, though the Rams took a 35-25 advantage into the break behind a 19-point effort by Kyle Jorgensen, who went a perfect 6-of-6 from the floor.
Following the halftime break, the hosts held steady, building their lead to 13 and remaining firmly in control for the first seven minutes of the half. After trailing 47-35 with 13:17 to play, Utah State regained its composure, using an 18-4 run to take its first lead since scoring the first points of the game. Collins Jr. was responsible for seven points during that stretch, while junior forward Karson Templin contributed six including a pair of dunks.
Once the Aggies took the lead, they never looked back, leading the rest of the way. As the half progressed, the USU defense got tighter. In the last 10 minutes of game action, the Rams scored from the field just twice, shooting 2-of-12 from the floor.
The gutsy comeback was capped by a defensive stop, as stout defense by Templin forced the Rams into a difficult baseline fadeaway with just four seconds to play. Following the miss, a pair of made free throws by Collins Jr. put the Aggies in front by four to secure the victory.
After shooting 68 percent in the first half, Colorado State was held to just 38 percent shooting in the second half. Jorgensen's 19-point first half was followed by a five-point second half.
Utah State forced 21 turnovers in total, then converted those into 24 points. Conversely, the Aggies committed just 10 turnovers of their own.
The USU bench came up big, out-scoring Colorado State's 25-6. Leading the way were Templin, who had 10 points, four rebounds, two blocks and a steal, and senior forward Garry Clark, who went for 10 points, four boards, two assists and a steal.
The Aggies tallied 11 steals, led by a team-high three by each of the guard duo of junior Mason Falslev and freshman Elijah Perryman.
In total, Utah State shot 50.0 percent (28-of-56) from the floor, 25.0 percent (5-of-20) from 3-point range and 80.0 percent (4-of-5) at the charity stripe. Colorado State shot 51.2 percent (22-of-43) from the field, 47.6 percent (10-of-21) from behind the arc and 70.0 percent (7-of-10) at the free throw line.
UP NEXT
Utah State will return home for two games next week, beginning on Wednesday, Jan. 28, when the Aggies host Wyoming at Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m., and the game will be televised on CBS Sports Network.
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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