Utah State basketball: Aggies bucked in Boise

BOISE — There was no love to be found in Taco Bell Arena for No. 21 Utah State as Boise State upset the Aggies, 66-56 and snapped a 19-game win streak, preventing USU from winning an outright Western Athletic Conference championship.

Utah State had flirted with disaster several times in recent weeks but repeatedly found a way to win.

Aggie coach Stew Morrill said his team usually finds a way to scratch and claw its way past challenges.

"Tonight," Morrill said, "we got outscratched and outclawed."

USU (24-2, 12-1 WAC) played from behind through the entire second half and admitted afterword it was difficult to play that way.

"It was a different feeling," USU forward Tai Wesley said. "I remember feeling that in the court and thinking 'This is not where we usually are.' It's been unfamiliar territory for us this season."

Much of that unfamiliar feeling can be attributed

to a well-rested and well-prepared team of Broncos who were eager to show the WAC champion Aggies there would be no easy wins in Boise this season.

The active BSU defense pressured Utah State into 19 turnovers and an ugly 36.5-percent shooting performance — just 30.8 percent in the second half — as the Aggies looked tired and weighed down by the pressure of what was the longest winning streak in the nation this season.

"Our defense was pretty good," Boise State guard Anthony Thomas said. "We held them to one-and-done a lot."

The Aggies also got into foul trouble early and couldn't recover.

"We were up 16-11 when both of our posts got into foul trouble," Morrill said. "That didn't help."

Wesley saw only four minutes of action in the first half after committing three turnovers and being called for three fouls during a brief appearance.

Morrill voiced his displeasure with the quick whistles and was given a sideline warning after an extended rant. That came during a stretch of more than seven minutes with only two Aggie points as Boise State erased USU's 16-11 lead and took a 27-25 advantage into the break.

Wesley's seat on the bench gave Matt Formisano a chance to get extended minutes, and he responded with six rebounds and four points in 16 first half minutes.

"I didn't agree with the calls," Wesley said, "and that took me (mentally) right out of the game."