LOGAN, Utah – A resilient effort on both ends of the court and a career game by junior forward Karson Templin helped Utah State men's basketball return to the top of the Mountain West standings and improve to 18-3 on the year, as the Aggies took down San Diego State 71-66 Saturday afternoon at Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.
In a battle between two sides which had combined for just three losses in league play, the Aggies came out on top, largely thanks to a strong defensive performance and a 46-31 rebounding advantage on the glass.
While entering off the bench and playing a career-high 29 minutes, Templin was a consistent force for Utah State as he went for a team-best and career-high-tying 18 points on an efficient 7-of-10 shooting day, including 2-of-3 shooting from deep. Templin also brought down seven rebounds, to go along with an assist and two steals.
Both sides got off to a sluggish offensive start in this one, as the teams combined to make just two of their first 15 shots of the contest. Through five minutes, the game was still even at 2-2, before the Aztecs hit their stride to make 12 of their next 18 shots, building to their largest advantage of the game at 29-18 with 3:30 to play in the first half.
Facing a double-digit deficit, the Aggies punched right back. USU was able to pull back to even before the halftime break, scoring 16 of the next 20 points in the final 3:19 to make it a 34-34 contest at the half.
The tie quickly disappeared following the break as San Diego State punched first and extended its lead back to as many as seven points, but a 7-0 run in response once again brought the Aggies even with just under eight minutes to go.
A 3-pointer by freshman forward Adlan Elamin with 6:49 to play gave Utah State its first lead in 25 minutes of game time, and the Aggies didn't look back from there. They missed just three shots while making eight the rest of the way, leading for the final six minutes of action.
While the visitors used a late mini five-point run to pull back within a possession with 1:27 to play, the Aggies locked down defensively, forcing three misses in the final minute, while USU graduate guard Drake Allen converted an and-one to help add cushion to the lead.
In total, the Aggies pulled down 46 rebounds to San Diego State's 31, including 15 offensive boards and 31 on the defensive end. This was the largest rebounding margin by any team against the Aztecs this season. Leading the way on the glass was Elamin, who continued a run of strong performances with 13 points and a career-high-tying eight rebounds, to go along with three assists and two steals.
Senior guard MJ Collins Jr. hit a major career milestone with 5:44 to play in the contest, as he scored the 1,000th point of his career on a fastbreak layup. Collins Jr. got off to a slow offensive start, but was a major factor down the stretch as he scored eight points in the final six minutes. He finished the day with 12 points, five boards and two assists in a team-high 35 minutes.
In total, Utah State shot 40.6 percent (26-of-64) from the floor, 23.1 percent (6-of-26) from 3-point range and 56.5 percent (13-of-23) at the charity stripe. San Diego State shot 40.4 percent (23-of-57) from the field, 25.0 percent (6-of-24) from behind the arc and 77.8 percent (14-of-18) at the free throw line.
UP NEXT
Utah State will head on the road for a pair of games next week, beginning with a trip to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to face New Mexico on Wednesday, Feb. 4. Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. (MT) and the game will be broadcast on FS1.
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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