This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Logan • Utah State capped off a badly-needed trifecta Wednesday night at the Spectrum.
After winning their first two games in the Global Sports Hoops Showcase presented by Gossner Foods, the Aggies claimed the championship of the round-robin tournament with a 76-62 victory over North Dakota State.
Utah State limped into its annual pre-Christmas event after back-to-back losses to BYU and UC Irvine.
The Aggies got back on track with wins over Texas-Rio Grande Valley and Idaho State, however, before polishing off North Dakota State with an encouraging performance.
Jalen Moore scored 18 points, Julion Pearre added 17 and tournament MVP Chris Smith contributed 15 as Utah State concluded the non-Mountain West Conference position of its season with an 8-3 record.
North Dakota State (9-4) had defeated Texas-Rio Grande Valley and Idaho State in the showcase.
"Really proud of our team," said USU coach Tim Duryea. "That's a very solid program and a very solid team [and] I thought we did a very good job with our on-the-ball defense. … All in all, one of our best efforts of the season."
Utah State broke the game open midway through the second half.
The Aggies owned a 58-48 lead when Smith, who returned after limping off the floor shortly after halftime, converted a drive.
On Utah State's next possession, Smith grabbed an offensive rebound. He scored and was fouled. North Dakota State coach David Richman was called for a technical foul for protesting the play and, after making two of three free throws, the Aggies built a 64-48 lead with 9:56 remaining.
"It was a very good game for us," said USU's Lew Evans, who scored 10 points. "… Coach said, 'I want you to play hard and play together.' I thought we did that."
In the first half, there were 12 lead changes in the opening 13 minutes before Utah State created separation.
Trailing 23-22, Moore started an 8-0 run when he beat the shot clock and drained a 3-pointer.
On the Aggies' next possession, Darius Perkins missed a 3-pointer but Moore rebounded. Smith made the extra possession count when he knocked down another 3 to make it 28-23.
With five minutes left in the half, Moore missed a 3-point shot but Evans — sandwiched between two North Dakota State players — somehow got his hand on the rebound. He batted the ball high off the glass and it fell into the basket, giving Utah State a seven-point lead.
After North Dakota State came back within a point, the Aggies closed the half with a 9-1 run. Pearre had five during the stretch, which gave USU a 43-34 lead.
Utah State returns to action on Dec. 30, when it opens Mountain West Conference play at San Jose State.
"I think we're ready," Evans said. "Watching the preseason, it's a wide-open league. … I think we have a good shot at winning."
Twitter: @sluhm -
Storylines
R Forward Jalen Moore scores 18 points as Utah State defeats North Dakota State, 76-62.
• With the victory, the Aggies claim the Global Sports Hoops Showcase championship.
• Julion Pearre finishes with 17 points as Utah State improves to 8-3. -
Utah State 76, No. Dakota St. 62
N. DAKOTA ST. (9-4)
Jacobson 7-12 2-2 18, D. Miller 0-0 0-0 0, P. Miller 5-18 2-2 16, Dupree 5-8 0-0 10, Kabellis 4-12 2-4 11, Ishola 0-0 0-0 0, Clements 1-5 1-2 3, Eliason 0-0 0-0 0, Kading 0-1 0-0 0, Werner 2-5 0-0 4. Totals 24-61 7-10 62.<
UTAH ST. (8-3)
Evans 3-4 4-4 10, J. Moore 5-10 6-9 18, Perkins 2-5 1-2 5, Rector 1-6 3-5 5, Smith 6-9 2-2 15, Pearre 6-10 2-2 17, Taylor 1-1 0-0 2, G. Moore 0-0 0-0 0, Jones 2-3 0-0 4. Totals 26-48 18-24 76.<
Halftime_Utah St. 43-34. 3-Point Goals_N. Dakota St. 7-22 (P. Miller 4-8, Jacobson 2-5, Kabellis 1-4, Kading 0-1, Clements 0-4), Utah St. 6-14 (Pearre 3-4, J. Moore 2-4, Smith 1-3, Perkins 0-3). Fouled Out_None. Rebounds_N. Dakota St. 26 (Jacobson 6), Utah St. 38 (J. Moore 9). Assists_N. Dakota St. 14 (Dupree, Werner 3), Utah St. 15 (Rector 4). Total Fouls_N. Dakota St. 17, Utah St. 12. Technical_N. Dakota St. Bench. A_8,321.