LOGAN, Utah – Utah State men's basketball closed out its preseason slate with a decisive win over West Coast Conference preseason favorite Santa Clara, earning a 101-79 exhibition victory Saturday afternoon at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.
The Aggie defense was on full display, limiting the Broncos, an NCAA Tournament team in 2025-26, to 39 percent shooting from the field and 20 percent shooting from three. Additionally, the Aggies forced 14 turnovers, which turned into 18 Utah State points.
After missing last week's exhibition game at Saint Mary's with an injury, USU senior guard Mason Falslev was in midseason form in his return to action. Falslev played 23 minutes on the day, going for a team-best 25 points, seven boards, three assists and a steal.
Utah State led from nearly start to finish, trailing for just 39 seconds in the contest and leading by as many as 28 points. The majority of the advantage came in the second half, where USU outscored the Broncos by 16, following a 44-point first half with a 60-point second half.
After Santa Clara scored the first basket of the game, a 3-pointer, Utah State countered with a 14-3 run to instantly take control of the contest. 10 of Falslev's points came in the first half, while graduate forward Connor Turnbull made a big impact with eight points, five boards and two assists in the first 20 minutes. Turnbull would go on to finish just shy of a double-double with 16 points and a team-best eight boards.
The second half was all Aggies, as USU quickly turned a six-point halftime advantage into a 21-point lead as it scored 21 of the first 27 points following the break. Nine of Utah State's points during that stretch came from Falslev, who shot an efficient 8-of-13 from the floor on the day along with 7-of-9 shooting at the charity stripe.
All 12 dressed Utah State players got into the game, with 10 of them playing 10 or more minutes. The Aggie bench contributed 33 points, led by eight-point performances from sophomore guard Brayden Boe and freshman guard Ace Reiser.
Utah State dominated down low, pulling down 46 boards to Santa Clara's 35, and outscoring the Broncos in the paint 46-34. Turnbull led the charge with eight boards, while Falslev and junior forward Will Hornseth pulled down seven apiece.
Utah State finished the day shooting 49.3 percent (33-of-67) from the field, 30.8 percent (8-of-26) from 3-point range and 79.4 percent (27-of-34) at the free throw line. Santa Clara shot 38.7 percent (24-of-62) from the floor, 20.0 percent (6-of-30) from deep and 71.4 percent (25-of-35) at the charity stripe.
UP NEXT
Utah State will officially open the 2026-27 campaign on Monday, Nov. 2, when the Aggies host Idaho State at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. Tip-off is slated for 7:30 p.m.
TICKETS
Season tickets for the 2026-27 Utah State men's basketball season are sold out. Fans interested in attending games can purchase a nonconference pass, which includes all home nonconference games, or single-game tickets, which are on sale now and available for purchase 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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