Las Vegas • Utah State expects senior forward Tai Wesley to produce his usual numbers in every game, and he delivered again Saturday night with 15 points and six rebounds — in the second half alone.

Just when the Aggies needed Wesley to live up to his status as the Western Athletic Conference's Player of the Year, he came through. In a 77-69 victory over Boise State for the WAC tournament championship at Orleans Arena, Wesley finished with 19 points and nine rebounds.

"There's been pressure on us from day one, trying to live up to expectations, and we've lived up to them," said USU coach Stew Morrill.

That applied to Wesley in Las Vegas. Mix in Wesley's 14 points and 12 boards in a 58-54 semifinal defeat of San Jose State, and it becomes clear the Aggies (30-3) would not have won this tournament without him.

That's not to diminish the achievements of junior point guard Brockeith Pane, the tournament MVP. Pane was outstanding, particularly at the end of the first half after Boise State briefly took the lead. Pane's award, in addition to Nate Bendall's joining Wesley on the all-tournament team, illustrates USU's balance.

Yet beyond his solid numbers, Wesley made his impact at a critical time. With the Aggies leading 54-49 midway through the second half, he proceeded to score USU's next nine points. That spurt was highlighted by his three-point play that started with a power move along the baseline, followed by Wesley's roaring down the lane and taking a pass from Bendall for another basket.

USU welcomed Wesley's offensive emergence, with Boise State battling to stay close.

Wesley's season averages are 14.5 points and 8.0 rebounds. He posted only four points and three rebounds in 18 minutes of the first half against the Broncos, but he was there when the Aggies needed him.

BSU coach Leon Rice is in his first season, but others associated with the school undoubtedly are tired of Wesley. This was his 11th career game against Boise State, and he scored 19 points in two of this season's three meetings with the Broncos.

Wesley now claims two WAC tournament titles in his USU career (the other came in his sophomore season) to go with four regular-season championships. Next on his list: an NCAA Tournament victory, which would be USU's first since 2001. The Aggies are expected to receive their highest seed ever in the expanded tournament.

kkragthorpe@sltrib.com —

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