Osobor Scores 31, Leads No. 17 Utah State Over San Jose State

LOGAN, Utah – Great Osobor, last season’s Big Sky Top Reserve, put together another masterpiece as he continues to make a case for Mountain West Player of the Year. Osobor shot 19 free throws, finishing with 31 points to lead No. 17 Utah State to an 82-61 win over SJSU.

The Aggies (19-2, 7-1) out-physicaled the Spartans (8-13, 1-7) down the stretch to stay atop the Mountain West.

RELATED: USU Escapes Boise With First Overtime Win Of Season

Ain't no party like a Spectrum party‼️🤘#AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/OMkUFWxfb8

— USU Men's Hoops (@USUBasketball) January 31, 2024

Ian Martinez was a perfect 6-of-6 from the field, including four shots from deep to finish with 16 points and six rebounds. Darius Brown II had 11 points, ten rebounds, and five assists in the win.

Myron Amey Jr. led the Spartans with 14 points and seven rebounds. Alvaro Cardenas added 11 points.

First Half

Isaac Johnson kept his hot streak going early. After notching a double-double in an overtime win at Boise State, the 7’0 redshirt sophomore drove to the bucket for that game’s first score. San Jose State fought off the always-vocal Hurd in the opening minutes, taking a 13-7 lead into the first media timeout. Myron Amey Jr. led all scorers with eight quick points.

Big Fish getting things started for the Aggies!

⚡️ @Isaac_Johnson33 #AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/853j7otFXa

— USU Men's Hoops (@USUBasketball) January 31, 2024

USU made five of its first eight shots but struggled offensively, with five turnovers in the first eight minutes. The carelessness allowed the Spartans to hold a 15-14 with 11:16 to play.

UDUJE DUNK ‼️

⚡️ @JUduje #AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/moBH1056Hr

— USU Men's Hoops (@USUBasketball) January 31, 2024

Ian Martinez gave the Aggies a brief lead with a step-back three out of a timeout.

Minutes later, after a frantic possession, Darius Brown II grabbed two offensive rebounds before laying in his first field goal of the night.

RELATED: Utah State Climbs One Spot, BYU Falls in Latest AP Top 25

Back-to-back layups from Great Osobor, Mason Falslev, and tenacious defense allowed USU to take a 25-22 lead into the under-eight-minute timeout. Both teams then went ice cold, with the Spartans scoring the only basket before the final media timeout of the half.

After Brown’s steal and score took the lid off the basket, Martinez ignited the Aggie faithful with a blocked shot and fast-break layup at the other end to give USU a 31-24 lead.

IAN ‼️

⚡️ @IanJumaine #AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/XnngvDwQ1L

— USU Men's Hoops (@USUBasketball) January 31, 2024

The lead swelled to ten before SJSU could stem the tide, taking a seven-point deficit into the halftime break.

Great Osobor leads all-scorers with 12 first-half points. Darius Brown II has 8⃣ points, 6⃣ boards, & 2⃣ assists

Scoring change takes a point away from Osobor after the half ends@USUBasketball 3⃣7⃣@SanJoseStateMBB 3⃣0⃣#AggiesAllTheWay https://t.co/oKP52DPNC5

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) January 31, 2024

Second Half

Accustomed to making successful halftime adjustments under Danny Sprinkle, back-to-back Aggie threes sparked an 8-0 run that extended the lead to 13 with 15:41 to play.

BIG FISH 💦

⚡️ @Isaac_Johnson33 #AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/BPtm6LZ4ty

— USU Men's Hoops (@USUBasketball) January 31, 2024

The run ballooned to 12-0, with the Spartans going scoreless for more than four minutes.

After breaking the scoring drought, SJSU reeled off a seven-point run to trim the lead to 53-43 with 12:04 left.

Osobor went to work down the stretch, getting to the free-throw line at will as the 6’8 wing bullied Spartan defenders in the post. The Mountain West’s third-leading scorer would finish the night with his third 30-plus-point night as an Aggie.

MAYHEM!!!!!

⚡️ @GreatOsobor #AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/g1mFIKXmPZ

— USU Men's Hoops (@USUBasketball) January 31, 2024

Utah State never saw its lead fall below double-digits in the final minutes. With the 82- 61 win, the Aggies improved to 10-0 at home.

The victory was the 100th win of Danny Sprinkles’ five-year coaching career.

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No. 17 Utah State will travel to sunny San Diego on Saturday, February 3, for a road tilt against the San Diego State Aztecs. Tip-off is at 1:30 p.m. (MT). The Aggies are 8-18 all-time against SDSU in a series dating back to 1962. USU is 1-9 away from the Spectrum and has dropped the past four games against the Aztecs. Utah State’s last win in San Diego came in 1998.

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