Utah
Utah State holds off Utah Tech upset bid, improves to 6-0
Estimated learn time: 3-4 minutes
LOGAN — Utah Tech was bent on making its first-ever sport with Utah State a memorable one on Thursday evening.
Heavy underdogs in entrance of 6,777 followers within the Spectrum, the Trailblazers prodded the Aggies practically the complete 40 minutes, spurning each Utah State run and maintaining the sport inside single digits into the ultimate minute.
Backed by 27 factors from Steven Ashworth, the Aggies outlasted the upset bid to win 86-81 and enhance to 6-0 on the season. Utah Tech fell to 3-5 with the loss.
Ashworth shot 7-of-12 from 3-point vary; and Taylor Funk added 20 factors, eight rebounds and 7 assists within the win. Cameron Gooden had a game-high 29 factors for Utah Tech, 20 of which got here within the first half.
“Actually happy with our guys for preventing by that sport and determining a technique to come out with a victory,” Utah State coach Ryan Odom stated. “I assumed Utah Tech performed an excellent sport. That they had a superb sport plan; they seem to be a bodily crew.”
Utah State, who was with out level guard Rylan Jones many of the sport after he took a blow to the face early within the first half, discovered themselves in hassle early within the second half as Utah Tech led 41-36.
The Aggies responded with a 9-0 run and it appeared they’d draw back. However in a sport that had 24 lead adjustments and 9 ties, Utah Tech endured. The Trailblazers’ largest deficit was 11 factors, they usually’d reduce it to five with simply over six minutes to play on a Gooden 3-pointer.
However Utah State did sufficient and its offense got here alive within the waning moments. The Aggies discovered Dan Akin on a low block for a pair of straightforward dunks, then the ball was tossed across the horn to Ashworth, who buried a 3-pointer to take an 81-72 lead with 1:54 to play. A key facilitator within the waning moments was Max Shulga, who completed with 10 factors and 10 assists.
“We simply had a few instances the place they noticed our protection they usually attacked an space that they noticed was open, and we did not modify to it,” Utah Tech coach Jon Judkins stated. “We did not rotate in addition to we wanted to. We gave Ashworth a few actually wide-open 3s after which he obtained sizzling and began hitting some robust ones.”
Gooden had his means within the first half and got here off screens and hit open jumpers. He was 7-of-8 capturing within the first half; his three made free throws to finish the half tied the sport at 36-36.
The Aggies defensive effort in opposition to him within the second half held him to 9 factors on 2-of-8 capturing, which was a key distinction.
“I feel it got here all the way down to being slightly extra bodily and having little extra grit in our defensive technique,” Ashworth stated. “And simply taking slightly extra delight on protection. He is a really proficient participant as we noticed. He hit a variety of robust pictures and, on the identical time, he obtained in his rhythm.
“Within the second half, we have been slightly bit higher ensuring we fought over the ball screens or obtained to completely different choices so he wasn’t in a position to get his first finest look within the offense.”
Utah Tech, ranked 243rd in Ken Pom, punched above its weight many of the sport, and the slender win from the Aggies drops their rating from forty seventh to 56th. As a crew, the Trailblazers went 24-of-50 from the sphere and 52% from 3-point vary; Utah State was 30-of-55 from the sphere and 32% from past the arc.
Utah State faces San Francisco in arguably the largest sport of the nonconference slate on Sunday. Jones’ standing for the sport is unsure, however the Aggies should “play higher” transferring ahead.
“They obtained to the road an excessive amount of in opposition to us and have been in all probability the extra bodily crew all through, in order that’s one thing that we will be taught from going ahead,” Odom stated. “By no means going to complain a couple of victory.”