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Las Vegas • Danny Berger has always had the silky jumpshot, the length on the wing to bother people and the ability to make creative passes.
However, the Utah State sophomore hasn't always had the confidence, which has led to an inconsistent performance this season.
In what was a heartbreaking 72-70 loss to Louisiana Tech in Thursday night's Western Athletic Conference Tournament at Orleans Arena, Berger played what may have been a defining game in his short USU career.
Berger, who came off the bench, scored a team-high 17 points. He grabbed five rebounds and picked off three steals in 28 minutes. He was engaged on both ends of the floor, and he made the impact coaches long expected when they stripped his redshirt from him in December.
"This was his best performance as an Aggie," USU head coach Stew Morrill said. "Danny was great tonight. He was aggressive — he was taking guys off the dribble. He didn't hesitate to shoot the ball. We had been waiting on this kind of performance all along."
Berger made all three of his 3-point attempts. He made each of his four free throws and provided a lift for a team that desperately needed one offensively.
With USU's starters struggling — Brockeith Pane was the only one who scored in double figures — Berger led a bench that scored 38 points. Former Bingham star Ben Clifford, a redshirt freshman, scored 12 points and grabbed six rebounds.
"The bench saved us tonight," Morrill said. "Obviously, the starters had a tough night. We couldn't score in the paint — the inside guys had a tough time on both ends."
Berger's performance bodes well for the future, as Utah State will be forced to take a long look at its program in the offseason. Freshman center Jordan Stone also played well, scoring nine points and adding five rebounds while providing an intimidating presence in the paint.
Twitter: @tonyaggieville