Utah State Seeks Statement Win Over New Mexico
Feb 13, 2025, 3:58 PM
Utah State senior guard Ian Martinez drives to the hoop in an 81-63 loss to the New Mexico Lobos in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum on February 1, 2025. (USU Athletics, Triston Hartfiel)
(USU Athletics, Triston Hartfiel)
LOGAN, Utah—The Utah State Aggies can avenge only their second home loss of the season when they take on the New Mexico Lobos in a Sunday matinee. The Aggies’ 22 wins heading into the weekend are tied with Auburn and Drake for the most in the nation and equal the 19th-most in program history.
The Aggies (22-3, 12-2) head to The Pit on Sunday, February 16, to face the Mountain West-leading Lobos (21-4, 13-1). Utah State is 7-1 in true road games this season.
Mason Falslev joined Hans and Scotty G. on KSL Sports Zone on Thursday, February 13, to discuss the Aggies’ recent performance.
💦 𝓢𝓹𝓵𝓪𝓼𝓱 𝓥𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓮𝔂 💦#AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/LAMuIFkPn4
— USU Men's Hoops (@USUBasketball) February 13, 2025
With defenses keying on him, Falslev’s production dipped briefly, but he exploded for 22 points and four threes in a win over Colorado State.
“I went through a little slump for a couple of games…” Falslev started. “I think the slump was a little on me. I think after we beat San Diego State, I kinda got complacent with myself, and I was a little bit satisfied. All it takes is your attitude toward everything: how you prepare, what you want, and what you envision… I wanted to really go and attack this game. It’s all just a mindset. I knew what I wanted and took what I could get.”
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The Aggies and Lobos are all over the Mountain West leader boards, individually and as a group. The top two offenses in the league, New Mexico, scores 83.2 points (13th in the nation) a night compared to 81.8 (26th in the country) for USU. A tenth of a point separates both programs’ average win margins.
Utah State has been the best shooting team in the MW (49.8 percent) and hopes to flummox the Lobos’ defense from inside and out. Both teams do a great job protecting the basketball, sitting one and two in the conference for turnover margin.
Streaking Lobos Lead Mountain West
New Mexico enters the weekend riding a ten-game winning streak after surviving a Wyoming upset bid on Wednesday night. The Cowboys’ defense limited New Mexico to 41.8 percent shooting, including 32 percent from the field in the opening half.
Possible MW Player of the Year candidate Donovan Dent has opened up a nearly two-point margin between him and Tyson Degenhart, the league’s second-leading scorer. Dent pours in 19.6 points and is second in the MW, averaging 6.5 assists a night. The elite guard adds 1.6 steals a night, the sixth-best in the league.
Dent finished with 14 points, six assists, four rebounds, two steals, and a block in the Lobos February 1 win.
🏀 Highlights from @USUBasketball's 93-85 win over Colorado State pic.twitter.com/7HshUn97T4
— Mountain West (@MountainWest) February 12, 2025
“Last time we did a good a job in the first half of defending New Mexico, and that seems to be what we’ve done all year,” Falslev said of his team’s performance against the Lobos.
“We guard great in the first half, then struggle to guard in the second half… We just gotta have a well-rounded game. We can’t be too high or too low. We’ve got to be consistent and go at them all night. We’ve got to fight as a team.”
Utah State is 34-14 all-time against New Mexico and 15-10 since joining the Mountain West. The Lobos hold a 16-11 advantage in The Pit. A win on Sunday would pull USU even with New Mexico in the standings.
How to watch USU vs. New Mexico
Sunday’s 2 p.m. MT tip-off will be broadcast on the CBS Sports Network.
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Following Utah State With KSL Sports Zone
Utah State will travel to Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Sunday, February 16, for a rematch with the MW-leading Lobos. Tip-off is at 2 p.m. MT.
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. Find Brian on Twitter and Instagram at @bpreece24.
