Utah State basketball: Jared Quayle struggles in final game as Aggie

SPOKANE — A rock all season long, Jared Quayle couldn't have imagined his collegiate career ending this way.

Yet, when the final horn sounded, Quayle was on the bench — having been pulled from the game as Utah State coach Stew Morrill threw in the towel, admitting defeat against Texas A&M.

USU's all-conference point guard and floor leader had one of his least-inspiring games of the year, making only 5-of-18 shots and finishing with just 11 points, one assist and three rebounds.

"I had plenty of wide-open looks," Quayle said, wearing his Utah State uniform for the last time. "They just weren't falling."

Not at all.

Quayle, at one point, missed 11 shots in a row and, after making his first 3-point attempt of the game, missed his final eight shots from beyond the line.

So steady all season long, Quayle was a clear target of Texas A&M's defense.

"We tried to wear him down," A&M guard B.J. Holmes said. "We knew he was going to play a lot of minute. (We) tried to pick him up a little bit in the back court to try to wear him throughout the game and just fight through the screen, not given up open shots, playing all the shots. I think we did a good job."

To argue otherwise would be folly.

"Jared had a really tough night," USU coach Stew Morrill said. "Credit to their defense and he also had a tough night ... we shoot 38 perent and 25 percent from 3, it's tough to win. And that again is their defense."

Quayle certainly wasn't alone in his offensive woes on the perimeter.

Pooh Williams was scoreless at the half and made only two of seven shots to finish with five points.

Tyler Newbold, after hitting a pair of big 3-pointers in the first half, scored only two points in the second half.

Nate Bendall scored Utah State's first basket, then had only two more.

"I don't think our guys gave in and quit playing," Morrill said. "I think that Texas A&M just physically dominated us."

Quayle said he felt fine in the game, but his shots fell short often.

"Personally, I didn't feel any fatigue," he said. "They were just very physical and they're big and it probably wore us down a little.

"But that's no excuse," he added. "We just needed to push through that and keep playing ball."

Instead, it's Texas A&M that will keep playing ball when they face Purdue in the second round on Sunday.