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Aggies Advance To Semifinals In WAC Tournament After Defeating Fresno State, 85-68
March 12, 2009
Click here for photo gallery by Eli Lucero - Logan Herald-Journal
RENO, Nev. - Junior reserve guard Stavon Williams scored a career-high 22 points and Utah State made a season-high 13 three-pointers to run past Fresno State, 85-68, in the quarterfinals of the 2009 Western Athletic Conference Tournament played here at the Lawlor Events Center Thursday afternoon.
Utah State, who improved to 6-3 all-time in the WAC Tournament, is now 28-4 on the season and tied the 1999-2000 and 2000-01 USU teams for the most wins in school history. Fresno State concluded its season with a 13-21 record.
Junior guard Jared Quayle added 18 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals, while senior forward Gary Wilkinson also scored 18 points for Utah State and became the 33rd player in school history to score 1,000 career points on a pair of free throws early in the second-half.
Freshman Paul George had 16 points and five steals to pace Fresno State, while senior Dwight O'Neil had 14 points.
Utah State scored the first five points of the game and made its first five shots to build a quick 16-2 advantage. Fresno State then scored six straight points to get within eight, but USU quickly answered with an 11-4 run to lead 27-12 midway through the first-half. USU maintained its double-digit lead for the rest of the half and took a 45-31 lead into the locker room.
In the first-half, Utah State made eight of its first 10 three-pointers and finished the half 9-of-13 from behind the arc as Williams was 3-of-4, Quayle was 3-of-6 and sophomore guard Tyler Newbold was 2-of-2. Quayle had a team-high 11 points at the break, while Williams had nine.
Utah State maintained its double-digit lead for the first 10 minutes of the second-half before Fresno State finally cut it to nine at 57-48 with 10:24 to play on a pair of free throws from Mychal Ladd. The Aggies then went on a 14-4 run over the next four-plus minutes to take its biggest lead of the game at 71-52 with 6:57 to play on a layup from Wilkinson.
Fresno State did make one last run at the top-seed and got within 73-61 with 4:23 to play but Utah State scored eight of the next 11 points to put the game away.
Overall, Utah State finished the contest by shooting 53.1 percent from the field (26-49), including 61.9 percent from three-point range (13-21) and 80.0 percent from the free throw line (20-25). Those 13 made three-pointers are tied for the second-most in a single-game in school history. USU also dominated the glass and out-rebounded the Bulldogs, 35-22.
Fresno State shot 46.3 percent overall (25-54), 36.4 percent from three-point range (8-22), and 58.8 percent from the free throw line (10-17).
Utah State will now face fifth-seeded New Mexico State (17-14) in the semifinals of the tournament on Friday, March 13, at 7 p.m. NMSU advanced by defeating Boise State, 80-70. |
