USU basketball: Cautious Aggies lose to Gaels

MORAGA, Calif. — Stew Morrill said his Utah State basketball team played "cautious."

Aggie center Gary Wilkinson used the word "tentative."

Whatever it was, the Aggies played poorly for the better part of 30 minutes and could well have put their hopes of an at-large berth in the NCAA tournament in serious jeopardy after falling to St. Mary's, 75-64, in front of a sold-out McKeon Pavilion and a national ESPN2 audience.

"They got us on our heels with their physicalness," Morrill said. "The advantage goes to the aggressor, and they were certainly the aggressor out there."

That much was evident in the way St. Mary's post players attacked USU's on both ends of the court. With double-double candidates Omar Samhan and Diamon Simpson imposing their will on the Aggies, the Gaels enjoyed a comfortable lead for most of the game.

The loss was particularly harsh for USU (25-3). The ESPN BracketBusters matchup was a chance to boost its RPI and national stature with a road win over a quality opponent.

"They were the dominant team most of the game," said Wilkinson, who finished with 16 points and only four rebounds. "It came down to toughness. That's something we hung our hat on, and now it's slipping."

Not only is the Aggies' toughness slipping, so is their once-commanding presence on the court. After winning 19 games in a row, USU has lost two of three with only a win over Cal State-Bakersfield to feel good about.

Utah State's typically forceful interior duo of Wilkinson and Tai Wesley were held in check most of the night. Though they combined for 23 points, they made only nine of 23 shots.

And they struggled defensively as well.

Samhan had 17 points and 12 rebounds, and Simpson added 18 points. Together, they made 15-of-22 shots and grabbed 19 rebounds — USU had just 26 as a team.

"I think it's me," Wilkinson said. "I need to be tougher out there. I was getting knocked around."

After the Gaels (22-5) had built a 13-point lead with 7:16 to play, the Aggies finally found a little attitude and mounted a comeback.

Four quick points by Wilkinson were followed by a pair of free throws from Jared Quayle. A 3-pointer by Pooh Williams brought the Aggies to within five points at 58-53 with five minutes to play.