Reno, Nev. • Before each practice, on the first page of the thick notebook of plays and tendencies Stew Morrill hands to his players, is a simple yet direct objective that’s become Utah State’s mantra over the years.
"Win your next game."
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Utah State at Fresno State
At the Save Mart Center, FresnoTipoff » Saturday, 8 p.m.
TV » None
Radio » 97.5 FM
Records » Utah State 12-11, Fresno State 10-14
Series » Utah State leads 31-19
Last meeting » Utah State, 72-53 (Jan. 5)
About the Aggies » Utah State is 11-2 this season when leading at halftime. … USU has started the same lineup for 13 consecutive games. … The Aggies have won 10 straight games vs. the Bulldogs. … Kyisean Reed posted a double-double in the first meeting. … Brockeith Pane has 38 career double-figure scoring games.
About the Bulldogs » FSU is 7-2 at home this season. … The Bulldogs will be facing Utah State for the final time in the WAC. … Kevin Olekaibe averages 17.7 points per game. … Fresno State has scored fewer than 60 points against the Aggies in five consecutive meetings.
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The motto seems so simple. But, for the Aggies, the meaning is much more than that. There have been few times where Utah State needs to live by that rule more than Saturday night’s road contest at Fresno State.
USU’s mental toughness, simply put, will be tested more than ever. Can the Aggies bounce back from the heartbreaking 53-52 loss suffered to Nevada on Thursday night? Or will the anguish of Deonte Burton’s miracle 3-pointer affect Utah State to the point where it doesn’t play well against the Bulldogs?
"We are going to find out a lot about ourselves," USU shooting guard Preston Medlin said. "We have to try and put the Nevada game behind us. It’s done, and we have 24 hours to get ready for Fresno State."
Morrill and his players took a bus to Fresno on Friday, where the Aggies went through a spirited practice, different from usual Fridays on the road, where practice is more like a walkthrough. And the reality, for Utah State, lies in doing the things that made the Aggies successful against Nevada. USU outrebounded, outplayed and outfought the Wolf Pack to the point where it deserved to win the game.
If the Aggies do that against the Bulldogs, there is nobody with the same ability as Burton to bail Fresno by scoring 13 points in the final 11 minutes.
"We knew that we played well against Nevada," Utah State point guard Brockeith Pane said. "Coach is always talking about Saturday night in the WAC, and how much mental toughness will we have. We’re about to find out [Saturday] night."
Utah State is 4-4 in the WAC. But the Aggies have a favorable schedule down the stretch, with a five-game homestand upcoming. So winning at Fresno becomes more important, as jockeying for a playoff position becomes more intense.
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