This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Ruston La. • Morgan Grim's statistical contribution to Utah State's 69-65 win over Louisiana Tech on Saturday night was pedestrian at best: four points, two rebounds and an assist.
This, however, stands out: 24 minutes.
Grim shouldn't have played that much. He was hobbled due to a foot injury. When he did play, he limped for most of the night. He didn't start the second half, as Stew Morrill went with freshman Ben Clifford and Igor Premasunac, who hadn't scored a point all season.
When things looked bleak, however, Grim went back into the game, and played through obvious pain.
"He shouldn't have played," Aggies coach Stew Morrill said. "He saw that we had given up the lead and he wanted to give it a go. It was important having him in there, because he was a guy who knew what we were doing out there and it was valuable just having that experience in there."
Grim's night was indicative of Utah State's lingering issues in the frontcourt. All-Conference forward Brady Jardine is out for the season. Kyisean Reed is as athletic as they come, but very undersized as a power forward. Clifford and Jordan Stone are just freshmen, and Premasunac is still trying to adjust to Morrill's complex system.
Grim, a senior out of Riverton High, is the only constant, the only guy up front that Morrill knows what he can get from game-to-game. Grim isn't a star by any means. But he's a valuable role player and a guy who can score in the post when teams are paying too much attention to Preston Medlin and Brockeith Pane.
"It was good having him in there," Pane said. "He knows what he's doing in there and he makes all of the little plays that will help a team win. I missed him in the post on one possession and he really let me know about it. The next possession, I gave him the ball and he scored."
Grim's contribution on Saturday night pleased Morrill to no end, since he lit into his team for the lack of toughness they showed on Thursday night in a loss to New Mexico State. With the Aggies needing every win they can get from here on out, Grim's health will be something to watch. He's expected to have his foot tested on Sunday morning," Morrill said.
Twitter: @tonyaggieville