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Logan • There have been bad losses in Utah State's most difficult season in a decade, but this may represent rock bottom for the Aggies.
Scoring has been hard to come by for a USU team with little quality depth and size, but now it seems to have gotten mental for the Aggies. To sum it up, all one needs to do is look at Saturday's 80-69 loss to New Mexico State before a nearly sold-out crowd on national television.
Before Saturday afternoon, it had been exactly six years since USU walked off the court against New Mexico State a loser before its home fans. But that's exactly what it did, turning the ball over at an alarming rate, missing clutch free throws and generally looking frazzled down the stretch.
A few stray boos greeted the Aggies as the clock wound down and the disparaging defeat was assured. The NMSU players made sure their rivals knew it too, waving goodbye to the USU student section while celebrating at midcourt.
"This … this was a tough one," Utah State forward Danny Berger said. "We didn't get it done … at home. We let them get too many offensive rebounds, and we didn't box out enough. They're big, but we just needed to box them out better. We had it for a stretch there, and then we just let it go."
That's putting it a bit mildly. USU was up 66-65 with six minutes remaining, but New Mexico State finished the game on a 15-3 run that was as stunning as it was swift, since it seemed that this was a game destined to go down to the wire.
A bunch of missed free throws — six in the second half alone — conspired to doom the Aggies. But turnovers and the lack of rebounds played a huge part as well.
Up 68-66 with four minutes remaining, Tyrone Watson took a turnover and completed a three-point play. Then, Hernst Laroche blocked a Preston Medlin shot, recovered the ball and went the length of the court for an easy layup.
"It's pretty obvious that we are good enough to play in a lot of close game," Utah State head coach Stew Morrill said. "But we're not good enough to win them. This is something that's happened to us a lot. We're up by a point, and then we get outscored 15-3. This has been totally my responsibility."
The defeat means USU drops to 13-13 overall, 5-6 in the Western Athletic Conference. Any hope of tangible momentum heading into the WAC tournament is all but dashed, seeing how important Saturday's game was to Utah State. And with a tough schedule remaining, including a trip to Hawaii, a sub-.500 record to finish out the regular season is a real possibility.
The Aggies struggled in several areas, including a 34-21 rebounding deficit. Utah State also failed to control Wendell McKines, who took over the game in large stretches with his perimeter shooting and his ability in the paint. Adding to USU's troubles, a New Mexico State team that almost never shoots it well from distance made 7 of 11 3-point attempts.
"That was part of the game plan, to make them shoot the ball," Morrill said. "They made them, you have to give them credit for that. This is disappointing because it keeps happening. We're in a position where we can win, and we don't make the plays that we need."
McKines led all scorers with 20 points. Laroche had 16 points and seven assists, while Bandja Sy came off the bench for 13 for NMSU. Medlin led the Aggies with 16 points. Berger had 14, a career-high, and Kyisean Reed had 11.
Storylines
R IN SHORT • Utah State falls to 5-6 in conference play.
Key Moment • New Mexico State closes the game on a 15-3 run.
Key Stat • NMSU wins the rebounding battle 34-21.