Utah State Knocks Off No. 19 San Diego State To Avenge Earlier Loss
Feb 20, 2024, 9:13 PM | Updated: Feb 21, 2024, 10:49 am
LOGAN, Utah – Homecourt advantage proved to be the difference as Utah State used an electric home crowd to will itself to a 68-63 win over the visiting Aztecs.
Utah State (22-5, 10-4) led for nearly 33 minutes against No. 19 San Diego State (20-7, 9-5), again seizing sole possession of first place in the top-heavy Mountain West conference.
𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐌𝐀𝐃𝐄#AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/ysAduR0UY7
— USU Men's Hoops (@USUBasketball) February 21, 2024
Darius Brown II hit five threes on his way to a team-high 25 points in 39 minutes. Great Osobor finished with 17 points, seven rebounds, and a career-high seven assists. Osobor added two blocks and two steals as he bolstered his MW Player of the Year resume. Freshman Mason Falslev added ten points as the Aggies improved to 12-1 at home.
Jaedon LeDee made a series of contested mid-range shots to finish with 23 points and six rebounds. Reese Waters added 11 points, with Miles Byrd scoring 10.
First Half
Mason Falslev got the Aggies rolling early with a slashing layup followed by a fast break bucket that showcased the redshirt freshman’s athleticism and gave his team a 6-0 lead.
💨💨💨
⚡️ @mason_falslev
📺 CBS Sports Network | https://t.co/x6zDJ4reK6#AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/t6PQwgRx57— USU Men's Hoops (@USUBasketball) February 21, 2024
SDSU missed its first seven shots to open the contest thanks to great intensity from the USU defense.
Instant Replay: Coach Danny Sprinkle Buries Half-Court Shot
Great Osobor used a personal 4-0 run to extend the lead to six as San Diego State remained ice-cold from the field. USU led 10-7 with 11:54 left.
Need a bucket? Dial 1⃣
⚡️ @GreatOsobor
📺 CBS Sports Network | https://t.co/x6zDJ4reK6#AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/636tRTwUqI— USU Men's Hoops (@USUBasketball) February 21, 2024
Jaedon LeDee got the Aztecs off the hook, hitting three shots in a row to take a 19-17 lead into the under-eight-minute timeout. SDSU made five of six shots to grab the lead.
Darius Brown hit USU’s second three of the night, tying the game at 21.
Downtown Darius Brown 👌
⚡️ @dariusbrownii
📺 CBS Sports Network | https://t.co/x6zDJ4reK6#AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/elHzHB74IG— USU Men's Hoops (@USUBasketball) February 21, 2024
Minutes later, Osobor spun before finding Kalifa Sakho for a big-to-big two-handed slam. Osobor continued to show his passing chops, picking up his fifth assist of the half on the next possession when he found Brown II in the corner for another three.
Kalifa throws it down 💪
⚡️ @Klz224
📺 CBS Sports Network | https://t.co/x6zDJ4reK6#AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/eSE3mup89X— USU Men's Hoops (@USUBasketball) February 21, 2024
Utah State’s defense keyed a late 6-0 run that allowed the Aggies to take a 31-26 halftime lead.
Brown II led all scorers with 12 points. Jaedon LeDee scored eight points to lead the Aztecs.
Second Half
Utah State came out firing, using a five-point run to extend the lead to ten. SDSU responded with a 7-0 run, but the Aggies had an answer.
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Osobor ended the Aztecs’ run when he drove baseline and threw down a ferocious dunk. After a missed shot on the other end, Osobor took a feed from Falslev and finished through a foul to give his team a 40-33 lead with 15:31 to play.
the 1⃣-handed slam!
⚡️ @GreatOsobor
📺 CBS Sports Network | https://t.co/x6zDJ4reK6#AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/iNJA6aaLQr— USU Men's Hoops (@USUBasketball) February 21, 2024
Osobor’s first block of the night electrified the Spectrum crowd and led to Brown’s fourth three. Utah State held a 49-39 lead with 11:36 left. San Diego State missed eight of nine shots while the lead grew.
Ian Martinez ignited the crowd and sent the Aztecs into a timeout, trailing by nine when he found space down the middle of the lane and rose for an easy dunk.
cleared for takeoff 🫡
⚡️ @IanJumaine
📺 CBS Sports Network | https://t.co/x6zDJ4reK6#AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/jZ1CDfw7Ge— USU Men's Hoops (@USUBasketball) February 21, 2024
The dunk was USU’s last basket for more than three minutes. The Aztecs used the cold stretch to make a run, cutting the deficit to one with 4:37 to play. SDSU outscored the Aggies 9-1 to get within a point.
Minutes later, leading 61-58, a frantic possession looked like it would end in a shot clock violation, but the ball found its way into Brown’s hands for his fifth three and a 64-58 lead.
DARIUS. BROWN.
⚡️ @dariusbrownii
📺 CBS Sports Network | https://t.co/x6zDJ4reK6#AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/z6JTWPyclz— USU Men's Hoops (@USUBasketball) February 21, 2024
The Aggies held on in the final minutes to pick up a 68-63 victory.
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Utah State has a week to prepare before taking on the Fresno State Bulldogs (11-15, 4-9) in Fresno, CA on Tuesday, February 27. Tip-off is at 8 p.m. MT. The Aggies are 44-26 all-time against Fresno State and have won nine of the last ten games between these programs. USU hasn’t lost to the Bulldogs at home since 2019.
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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.
