Utah State Hangs On To Beat Wyoming In First Mountain West Game
Dec 4, 2024, 9:21 PM | Updated: Dec 5, 2024, 9:45 am
LOGAN, Utah – Undefeated Utah State was tested but showed moxie, holding off Wyoming for a 70-67 win in each program’s first Mountain West game.
Utah State (8-0, 1-0) hosted the Wyoming Cowboys (5-3, 0-1) at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum in Logan, Utah, on Wednesday, December 4.
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𝗪𝗜𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝗪𝗪𝗪𝗪𝗪𝗪𝗪𝗪𝗜𝗡
8-0😤#AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/9fiUCjcN6N
— USU Men's Hoops (@USUBasketball) December 5, 2024
Ian Martinez bounced back from a sub-par first half to lead the Aggies with 23 points. The redshirt senior went 8-of-8 from the free throw line and 3-of-6 from deep when every point was needed. Mason Falslev added 19 points and equaled Karson Templin’s team-high six boards.
Kobe Newton and Obi Agbim scored 17 points each to lead the Cowboys in the loss.
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First Half
Poor early shooting from Utah State allowed the Cowboys to take an early lead.
A coast-to-coast rebound and drive to the bucket from Drake Allen cut Wyoming’s lead to 20-18 with 9:14 left in the half.
𝘿𝙤𝙬𝙣𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝘿𝙧𝙖𝙠𝙚 ⚡️#AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/EIOSBUxMjL
— USU Men's Hoops (@USUBasketball) December 5, 2024
Utah State rallied in the closing minutes, scoring eight straight points to take a 32-29 halftime lead despite shooting 37.5 percent from the floor.
The Aggies picked up the full-court defensive pressure, forcing Wyoming into a late offense that struggled to get settled after breaking the press.
The hoop. The harm. The wave 👋
⚡️ @dexterakanno #AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/1xLMCyKh08
— USU Men's Hoops (@USUBasketball) December 5, 2024
Dexter Akanno came off the bench to lead the Aggies with nine points. Mason Falslev (eight points) and Ian Martinez (six points) followed in the scoring department.
Obi Agbim and Jordan Nesbitt led Wyoming with eight points each.
Second Half
The Aggies held an early second-half advantage after getting into the bonus before the 12-minute timeout. Ian Martinez scored the 1000th point of his career from the charity stripe as Utah State made 7-of-10 freebies to stay in front.
USU held a 46-42 lead with 11:27 left.
IAN BRINGS THE HOUSE DOWN 💥@IanJumaine #AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/1gfhVekLbl
— USU Men's Hoops (@USUBasketball) December 5, 2024
Minutes later, a Cowboy offensive surge tied the game at 56 with less than six minutes to play.
Wyoming put up a mighty effort but couldn’t overcome Spectrum Magic, giving Utah State a 70-67 win. The Aggies closed the game with a 26 to 9 free throw advantage.
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Utah State returns to non-conference play, beginning with a game against the Utah Tech Trailblazers on Saturday, December 7. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. MT. The Aggies are amid a four-game homestand before heading to St. Mary’s before the Christmas break.
Listen to USU basketball games on KSL Sports Zone with Scott Garrard on the call.
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Brian Preece is a sports.ksl.com insider covering Locals in MLB and the Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball here.
