Utah State basketball: Overtime pays well for Aggies

RENO, Nev. — The last time Utah State played at the Lawlor Events Center, the Aggies manhandled Nevada in the WAC Tournament title game.

The Wolf Pack remembered well.

But theyll remember this one, too.

As will the Aggies after picking a huge gut-check 79-72 overtime win.

This is a big win, an elated Stew Morrill said after it was all said and done. The Aggies arent dead yet, baby.

But they were on life support for a while until the USU veterans stepped up.

Jared Quayle dropped in a 3-pointer, Nate Bendall hit a pair of free throws and Pooh Williams dropped the hammer with a dunk to ice the game in overtime and Utah State loudly announced to the WAC that the defending champs are alive and well.

I came off three screens and I was wide open, Quayle, who scored 21 points, said after the game. Luckily, I knocked it in.

As you might expect with an overtime game, the contest had plenty of ups and downs.

Especially in the final 30 seconds of regulation.

Utah States Tai Wesley, with the Aggies playing for the last shot of the game and a win, was called for traveling as he tried to establish position on the blocks with 5.2 seconds left and the score tied at 69-69.

But one turnover gave way to another as Nevadas Armon Johnson stumbled while trying to bring the ball up court and fell on the sideline, giving the Aggies one last shot in regulation with 2.4 seconds to play.

But when Tyler Newbolds 3-pointer from the corner bounced off the rim at the buzzer, the game was sent to overtime with both teams feeling lucky to not be losers after 40 minutes.

But Utah State owned overtime.

We just had to keep our composure, Quayle said. When I hit that shot I had a feeling we were going to win it.

After Utah State (12-6, 2-2 WAC) held its own through the first 19 minutes and 30 seconds of the first half, the Aggies fell apart.

Nate Bendall missed a shot in the paint that would have given USU a 35-30 lead and Nevada (10-7, 2-2) answered with a 3-pointer from Luke Babbitt to even the score.