SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Utah State men's basketball fell to San Diego State Wednesday evening at Viejas Arena in San Diego 89-72, bringing the regular season series between the teams even at 1-1. With the result, the Aggies and Aztecs now sit tied atop the Mountain West standings.
In what was Utah State's largest margin of defeat of the season, the Aggies struggled to keep pace with hot shooting by the hosts throughout, as SDSU shot 55 percent on the night, the second-best shooting performance by a USU opponent this season.
Utah State led for six of the first eight minutes, limiting the Aztecs to just four makes in their first 12 shots, but SDSU then made 10 of its next 14 to take the lead. Once San Diego State took control, it never trailed again, closing the half on a 33-18 run to take a 46-33 lead into the halftime break.
The second half started the same way the first half closed as SDSU quickly stretched its lead to 19 points with an 8-2 run out of the locker room.
While Utah State's shooting efficiency jumped in the second half, so did San Diego State's, as the Aztecs shot a scorching 61 percent from the floor in the final 20 minutes. Foul trouble also plagued USU, as it committed 25 fouls with five different players being whistled for three or more, putting SDSU on the line for 33 free throws in the contest.
Leading the Aggies in the scoring column was senior guard MJ Collins Jr., who went for 18 points on 6-of-13 shooting. Junior guard Mason Falslev went for 14 points with five boards and two assists, while freshman forward Adlan Elamin finished with 12 points and a team-best six rebounds.
The Aztecs posted a 38-30 rebounding advantage, including pulling down 26 defensive rebounds to USU's 18. They scored 14 second chance points off of 12 offensive boards.
In total, Utah State shot 41.4 percent (24-of-58) from the floor, 29.6 percent (8-of-27) from 3-point range and 66.7 percent (16-of-24) at the charity stripe. San Diego State shot 54.5 percent (30-of-55) from the field, 43.8 percent (7-of-16) from behind the arc and 66.7 percent (22-of-33) at the free throw line.
UP NEXT
Utah State will now return home to the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum this weekend where it will host Grand Canyon on Saturday, Feb. 28. Tip-off is slated for 8 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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