Utah State gets statement win at Saint Mary’s in non-conference final

Utah State responded well to its first loss of the season and secured a clear victory in the process.

The Aggies traveled to Moraga, Calif., on Sunday night and defeated Saint Mary’s 75-68 at University Credit Union Pavilion – the victory giving Utah State an 11-1 record heading into Mountain West Conference play.

The Gaels entered the matchup ranked No. 51 in the NCAA NET rankings – the Aggies were No. 37 – and as long as Saint Mary’s is ranked in the top 75 at the end of the regular season, this will be a Quad 1 road win for Utah State .

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Utah State took the lead early and gained control. Five days after the Aggies’ home loss to UC San Diego, Utah State took an early lead in its first true road game of the season and did not relinquish the lead in the final 36 minutes of the game.

The Aggies built a 17-7 lead after a 13-2 run that included three 3-pointers from Karson Templin.

While Saint Mary’s fought back and made it a one-possession game several times later in the first half, Utah State ended the half with a 10-2 run and took a 39-27 lead into the break.

The Aggies shot 53.6% in the first half and made five three-pointers, while Saint Mary’s shot 42.3% at home.

Utah State extended that lead to as many as 17 points in the second half with a win over the Gaels.

While Saint Mary’s cut the lead to six in the final minute after leading by double digits with three minutes to play, the Gaels were as close as ever in the second half.

Mason Falslev was brilliant again, leading several outstanding individual performances. The Aggies’ leading scorer, sophomore guard Mason Falslev, was back in top form Sunday as he finished with 18 points, 14 of which came in the second half.

His two free throws with 22 seconds left increased USU’s lead from six to eight and ended Saint Mary’s last hope of a rally.

Falslev added five rebounds and two assists in 29 minutes.

Utah State had four players in double figures: Templin scored 13 on 5 of 9 shooting, Ian Martinez added a team-high 11 points, six rebounds and five assists, while Aubin Gatereste had 10 points, four rebounds and two assists.

This countered the good performances of the Gaels’ Mitchell Saxen (18 points, six rebounds, four assists, three steals) and Augustas Marciulionis (12 points, eight assists, two steals).

Utah State shot much better and controlled the paint. The Aggies shot 58.8% in the game, including 65.2% in the second half, while the Gaels shot 44.4%.

Although Saint Mary’s managed to make more 3-point shots – 10 of 25 to 6 of 17 for the Aggies – Utah State was more effective at the free throw line. The Aggies made 9 of 11, while Saint Mary’s was 10 of 19.

Utah State also had 23 assists on 30 made field goals – marking the Aggies’ fifth game this season with more than 20 assists in a game.

The Gaels entered the game ranked 11th nationally with a +10.8 rebounding edge, but the Aggies outscored Saint Mary’s 31-27.

Utah State also controlled the middle, outscoring the Gaels 40-22.

What’s next?

The Aggies will take a few days off before beginning MWC play next weekend.

Utah State will face San Diego State on Saturday, tip time is 4:00 p.m. MST. The game will be broadcast on Fox.

The Aggies will also play on the road at Nevada on December 31st before their conference home game against Fresno State on January 4th.