During the first half of an NCAA college basketball game on Saturday, February 10, 2024, in Logan, Utah, guard Ian Martinez (4) of Utah State drives to the basket while guard Chibuzo Agbo (11) of Boise State defends. (The Herald Journal/Eli Lucero)
LOGAN, Utah —
Mason Falslev scored a season-high 25 points and No. 22 Utah State blew out Boise State 80-61 on Saturday night to grab sole possession of first place in the rugged Mountain West Conference.
Darius Brown II added 18 points, nine rebounds and five assists for the Aggies (20-4, 8-3), who improved to 11-1 at home. Isaac Johnson scored 14, and Great Osobor had 10 points and 10 boards.
The teams began the night tied atop the crowded league standings with No. 25 New Mexico, which lost 80-77 to UNLV at home.
Utah State head coach Danny Sprinkle stated, “This game was not about Xs and Os.” “We’re not doing this against ball screens,” the argument goes. All I said was, “Play hard.” Immediately.
Tyson Degenhart led Boise State (16-8, 7-4) with 17 points and 8 rebounds. With 12 points from Max Rice, the cold-shooting Broncos tied their season low in points.
Falslev finished 10 for 13 from the field, and Utah State won 41-30 at halftime by holding Boise State to 35.6% shooting, including 29%. Falsev scored 15 points in the first half, going 6 for 8 and accounting for 11 of his team’s first 16 points.
“Falslev was amazing,” Sprinkle remarked. For forty minutes, he had a great mindset. It has been forty minutes since I saw him do it.
and he spent forty minutes doing it.
Utah State opened up a 23-13 lead midway through the first quarter after holding the Broncos scoreless for five minutes.
“This is where (Utah State) can gain momentum quickly,” Boise State head coach Leon Rice stated. “I’ve witnessed them do it numerous times. When they really get it going, everything comes at you.
Boise State began the second half 6 for 12 from the field, but Brown scored nine points in the first nine minutes and Johnson scored two 3-pointers to keep the Aggies’ lead in double digits.
During the second half, Utah State shot 60%.
“Utah State was simply tougher than us tonight, and they were beating us to every ball.” They work well together.
and when they have it rolling from 3 it makes it hard to guard,” Leon Rice said.
BIG PICTURE
Boise State: After starting 7-2 in conference play, the Broncos have consecutive double-digit losses to Colorado State and Utah State.
Utah State: With first place on the line, the Aggies rebounded nicely from successive 14-point losses to San Diego State and Nevada. They reached 20 wins for the 33rd time in school history and 19th in the last 25 seasons.
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