Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
- Utah State defeated Colorado State Rams 93-85 at home, despite late-game struggles.
- Mason Falslev led with 22 points, while five Aggies scored in double figures.
- Utah State's strong 3-point shooting contrasted with poor free-throw performance.
LOGAN — Utah State finally had a game where the team shot well from the 3-point line. But down the stretch, the Aggies still had to sweat it out a little bit before ultimately coming away with the victory.
Despite taking a 23-point first-half lead, the Aggies sputtered to a 93-85 victory over the Colorado State Rams at home Tuesday night.
"We've talked about it, but it's been a repeat pattern," Aggies head coach Jerrod Calhoun said. "Hopefully (we'll) just build a bunch of leads here in the last six games, we'll be in great shape."
Mason Falslev led the Aggies (22-3, 12-2 MW) with 22 points, five rebounds and five assists. Aubin Gateretse had one of his better games this season, scoring 16 points on 7-of-7 shooting and adding six rebounds and four assists.
"It's always nice to perform, but I think it was more a team win," Gateretse said.
Five players scored in double figures for Utah State, which has won three straight.
The Aggies shot 57% (12-of-23) from the 3-point line, which is a number starkly different from the last three games. It was the team's early outside shooting — Utah State made its first seven attempts — that helped the Aggies gain such a big lead.
But Utah State, again, allowed its opponent to get back into the game and build some belief in a comeback attempt. The Rams scored 55 points in the second half; and when the Aggies went to the free-throw line, the team struggled to the tune of 17-of-30 from the line.
"It's tough when you miss that many free throws," Calhoun said. "You put extreme amount of pressure on your defense."
Utah State started the game on an 8-0 run, setting the tone for the game. Defensively, it forced the Rams into five early turnovers, and in a few blinks of an eye, the Aggies led 27-7.
"When you make shots, the things you draw up, you look really good," Calhoun said.
Colorado State, though, picked it up later in the first half. A 12-2 run helped the Rams go into halftime down 15 after previously trailing by as much as 23 points.
Ian Martinez, who had some foul trouble in the first half, made a couple of 3-pointers to start the second half, and Gateretse had three dunks in a row that put the Aggies up 67-45.
From there, the Rams went on a 17-7 run. Kyan Evans made a 3-pointer to cut Utah State's deficit to just 12 with six minutes remaining in the game. Martinez made a shot from beyond the arc to get the lead back to 15 with 3:27 left.
Again, the Rams cut Utah State's lead to 10 down the stretch. Dexter Akanno was charged with a Flagrant 1 foul while going for a rebound, and Ethan Morton's resulting free throws left Utah State with a 7-point lead with 42 seconds left.
But Utah State made enough of its free throws down the stretch to secure the win.
Gateretse said the team wanted to "prove something" after the second half the Aggies had in their win over Fresno State.
"We were hungry from the start," Gateretse said.
Gateretse said the team addressed its poor second half performances at practice earlier and admitted the situation is "very frustrating."
"We're going to address it again and keep working, keep getting better," Gateretse said.
Utah State goes on the road Sunday to play New Mexico, the top team in the Mountain West.
