Mason Falslev Won’t Play For No. 18 Utah State In Mountain West Quarterfinals

LAS VEGAS, Nevada— In a surprise last-second announcement, Utah State freshman guard Mason Falslev will be unavailable against Fresno State because of an injury.

First-seed Utah State (26-5, 14-4) faced the ninth-seeded Fresno State Bulldogs (11-20, 4-14) in the 2024 Mountain West Men’s Basketball Championships.

Mason Falslev in street clothes for Utah State during warmups and will not go today.

— Scott Garrard (@ScottyGZone) March 14, 2024

The redshirt freshman played the fourth-most minutes for the Aggies this season, averaging 28.4 minutes a night in 31 starts. An explosive athlete, Falslev averaged 11.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.3 steals.

Utah State vs. Fresno State

Utah State is 45-26 all-time against the Bulldogs and 1-0 in the Mountain West Championships.

The Aggies advanced to the 2019 MW title game after beating Fresno State 85-60 in the semifinals. Five Aggies scored in double figures: Sam Merrill scored 22 points, guard Diogo Brito had 20 off the bench, guard Abel Porter had 11, and guard Brock Miller had 10. Center Neemias Queta recorded his 10th double-double of the season with 10 points and 13 rebounds.

USU was 2-0 against Fresno State during the regular season.

Game One – Utah State 83 | Fresno State 62

These teams faced off in a lopsided 21-point home win for Utah State on January 20.

🏀 Highlights from @USUbasketball's 83-62 win against Fresno State pic.twitter.com/f9yFn669Ur

— Mountain West (@MountainWest) January 20, 2024

Great Osobor led the Aggies with a 20-point, 12-rebound double-double. Ian Martinez added 14 points, seven rebounds, and six assists, while Josh Uduje (12 points) and Darius Brown II (11 points) each reached double figures.

Isaiah Pope led the Bulldogs with 16 points. Isaiah Hill added five points, ten assists, and three steals in the loss.

Game Two – Fresno State 73 | Utah State 77 (OT)

Utah State led most of the night before the Bulldogs took a second-half lead. Darius Brown tried to get fouled on the final possession but hit a three instead, forcing overtime. USU regrouped in the extra period to grab the four-point win.

DOWNTOWN DARIUS BROWN‼️

We're going to overtime!

⚡️ @dariusbrownii #AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/8nR5lNCuo8

— USU Men's Hoops (@USUBasketball) February 28, 2024

Brown II got going late to finish with 15 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists. Great Osobor led all scorers with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Mason Falslev and Josh Uduje added 15 points each.

Four Bulldogs finished with double-figure points, led by Isaiah Hill’s 21. Xavier DuSell added 16 points in the loss.

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Brian Preece is a sports.ksl.com insider covering the Utah State Aggies, Locals in MLB, and Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees, Beehive baseball, and Aggie athletics coverage here.

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