LOGAN, Utah – Utah State men's basketball returned to the win column in front of a sold-out Dee Glen Smith Spectrum crowd Saturday night, defeating Grand Canyon 74-69. The Aggies now sit alone atop the Mountain West Conference standings with just two regular-season games remaining.
Utah State led for over 35 minutes, stretching its advantage to as many as 17 points while never trailing by more than a single possession. The Aggies set the tone early, then were able to fend off a late push by the visitors to secure the victory.
Four USU players reached double-figures in the scoring column with 30 of the team's 74 points coming from its reserves as the Aggie bench outscored that of Grand Canyon 30-6. Graduate guard Drake Allen and sophomore forward Karson Templin each led the team's scoring efforts with 15 points-apiece.
Utah State pounced early, wasting no time to open up a double-digit advantage. After the Lopes scored the first bucket of the night, USU went on a 26-7 run to go up 26-10 before the midway point of the first half. The Aggies made 13 of their first 20 shots of the evening including seven of their first 10 3-pointers.
Allen led the USU charge early on as he scored 14 of his 15 points in the first 20 minutes, going 6-of-6 from the field and 2-of-2 from deep. The Aggies maintained a consistent lead through the remainder of the half, going into the break up 41-27.
The Lopes found new life in the second half, quickly chipping away at and eventually eliminating the Aggie lead. Utah State was limited to just five made field goals in the first 12 minutes of the second half, while GCU ripped off a 27-13 run to tie the game at 54-54. USU flipped the script in the final minutes of the game, however, limiting the Lopes to just five made field goals the rest of the way.
After facing their first deficit since the game's opening moments, trailing 59-58 with 4:54 to play, USU responded with seven-straight points, capped by a critical 3-pointer from senior guard Kolby King. The sides then exchanged blows until another triple with 36 to play put Utah State up five. This time, it was senior guard MJ Collins Jr. with the dagger. Four free throws in the final 30 seconds then helped the Aggies ice it.
Along with 15-point nights by Allen and Templin, Collins Jr. finished the contest with 13 points while junior guard Mason Falslev filled the stat sheet with 11 points, a team-high nine rebounds, a team-high four assists, a steal and a block.
Utah State now sits at 24-5 overall and 14-4 in conference play, and can clinch at least a share of the Mountain West regular season title with a win in one of its final two games, or guarantee an outright championship with wins in both.
In total, Utah State shot 48.1 percent (26-of-54) from the floor, 47.8 percent (11-of-23) from 3-point range and 57.9 percent (11-of-19) at the charity stripe. Grand Canyon shot 45.3 percent (24-of-53) from the field, 32.1 percent (9-of-28) from behind the arc and 92.3 percent (12-of-13) at the free throw line.
UP NEXT
Utah State will now travel to Las Vegas for its regular season road finale next week when it takes on UNLV on Tuesday, March 3. Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. (MT) 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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