This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Logan • In its last two games, the most success Utah State had on offense had come from the perimeter.
That stat was flipped right on its head Saturday night: In its home arena, the No. 3-ranked 3-point shooting team couldn't hit 3-pointers.
Utah State was only 6-for-21 in its 79-76 loss to Fresno, and the team missed its first eight attempts from beyond the arc until TeNale Roland finally hit one almost 19 minutes into the game.
While Fresno State's quickness was in part responsible for the 3-point drought, there was no shortage of open looks. But even Utah State's best 3-point shooters struggled. Preston Medlin was 0-for-5 from deep, while Spencer Butterfield started 0-for-4 before making his final two attempts.
"Our wings missed some open shots," coach Stew Morrill said. "It would've helped if they had made some threes."
The Aggies entered the week shooting at a 41.3 percent clip, but that season mark has dropped to 39.8 percent in their last two games. Utah State hasn't shot better than 40 percent since it played Colorado State, its last win.
McGlaston stands out
Morrill said earlier in the week that Utah State's younger players could earn minutes if they were productive on the floor. Freshman JoJo McGlaston made that push Saturday night.
He finished with career highs with 8 points and 3 assists. A shot he made in the second half — a 3-pointer in the face of Fresno's Tyler Johnson while being fouled — was a high point in the contest. McGlaston ended up 3-for-5 from the field with three assists.
Still, Morrill said, his weak spots did show. Johnson did take a little advantage of the rookie on the defensive end, hitting a few shots while McGlaston was guarding him.
But all-in-all, it was positive, Morrill said. His teammates agreed.
"I feel like he affected the game," Jarred Shaw said. "He just took what was there. He got some threes, I think he got in the lane and made a floater. I think that just gave him some confidence to play better."
No charm in third try at 600
A third straight loss means Morrill again missed his chance to join the 600-win coaching club. He's seeking to become only the 14th active Division I coach to hit the mark, and only the 41st coach ever to get 600 wins.
His next chance comes next Tuesday at New Mexico.
Twitter: @kylegoon