AGGIES' MISSED FREE THROWS PROVE COSTLY AGAINST UTES

Utah coach Rick Majerus says he has nightmares about the three players from the state he didn't bother to recruit - Jimmy DeGraffenried (now at Weber State), Bryon Ruffner (Utah State to Utah Valley and next year to BYU) and Eric Franson (now a junior at Utah State). Majerus says he'll never let that happen again, and Franson underscored why Friday night at the Spectrum.

Franson scored a career-high 30 points and pulled down 10 rebounds for Utah State (3-2), both game highs, but Majerus' Utes survived that bad dream with a huge game from a Majerus recruit, freshman Michael Doleac out of Portland, Ore., and strong efforts from Brandon Jessie, Keith Van Horn and a host of young Ute big men who sealed off the middle to any Utah State player except Franson.Utah (7-2) defeated Utah State 75-71 when, with a three-point Ute lead, USU missed a three-point attempt and, with 1.3 secondsleft, Jon Wickizer fouled Jessie, who made the free throw he needed to seal the outcome.

Although Utah ran up an eight-point lead with 5:25 to go on a Jessie eight-footer in the lane, the Utes never really put Utah State down. The Aggies came back time and again to get within one, two or three, and a Myron Simms three-pointer while Franson was being fouled underneath, leading to free throws and essentially a five-point play with 1:51 left, cut the Ute lead to 71-70.

But USU missed seven free throws in the final 2:49, and when Corwin Woodard's three-pointer failed, the Utes were finally in control.

"We hit our free throws, executed well and kept our poise and composure," said Majerus.

Said Aggie coach Larry Eustachy, "The game never was right." He referred to the Aggies' inability to get the ball inside, to their poor offensive rebounding and poor free-throw shooting (17-for-30, while Utah was 26-for-34 at the line). "I don't know if it would have been fitting if it (the final three-point attempt) had gone in. We just couldn't get over the hump."

"Give credit to Majerus," said Franson, admiring the way the Ute coach got so many young players so mentally ready.

"I love Franson," said Majerus, still wishing he'd recruited him.

The Aggie he did recruit, Silas Mills, who went from grade and discipline troubles at the U. to three junior colleges back to the U. and finally to USU because of an NCAA ruling, played like Majerus had jokingly hoped he would: Like he was ill.

"I love Silas, and I don't say that a lot," said Majerus, whose presence may have helped hold Mills to four points, five rebounds and five fouls.