![]() We were up, and all of a sudden they whittled it down to a one point game at halftime.” It started at the end of that first half. “The pace of the game was played at their pace, more so than what we would have wanted. “The theme of the game, and why they were able to change it into their favor, was just pace,” Odom said. The game was played at SDSU’s pace, as USU hoped for a score in the 70s or 80s and the Aztecs, getting their wish, wanting something in the 60s. Said SDSU coach Brian Dutcher: “Our depth is our strength.” “So when they are on the bench they get their energy back, and when they come back in, they are refreshed and ready to attack.” “They are able to rest their guys more than most teams,” Odom said. Of course, San Diego State’s defense certainly had something to do with that, as Odom, Ashworth and center Trevin Dorius noted several times from the podium in the postgame news conference. That’s the Aggies’ bread and butter, and when long-range bombs aren’t falling, Utah State is in trouble. Utah State was 4 of 24 from 3-point range - with many of those shots simply short - in what was its worst shooting performance percentage-wise (17%) from deep this season. The Aggies had lost their legs, to this observer. (local time) tipoff favored the deeper Aztecs.įor if the Aggies have a weakness, it is their lack of depth.Īshworth, who scored a team-high 13 points, but needed 13 shots to get there, said he didn’t believe fatigue was a factor, noting that the Aggies “fought and clawed to the bitter end,” but memories of countless shots that banged harmlessly off the front of the rim told a different story. “I am very confident in the collective toughness this team has,” said junior guard Steven Ashworth, who reported to have gotten four and a half hours of sleep Friday night.Ĭlearly, the 3 p.m. ![]() With a NET ranking of 20, they should even be able to avoid a First-Four game in Dayton. If the Aggies are left out of March Madness, it would be a crying shame. “We know we are going to be playing another game,” said Odom. The Aggies believe they are also headed to the Big Dance, especially after they downed another NCAA-bound team, Boise State, 72-62, in Friday’s late semifinal. San Diego State improved to 27-6 and appears to be poised for a decent NCAA Tournament run. “They are very tough, they are very deep, they are very physical, they are just like a well-rounded bunch,” said Utah State coach Ryan Odom, heaping praise on the MW’s regular-season champion that downed USU three times this year. 20 SDSU to the wire in front of a pro-Aztecs crowd in Sin City. The Aggies (27-6) can find solace in the fact that they were much more competitive a dozen years later, pushing No. But that was a little difficult to take.” - USU guard Steven Ashworth on a wiped-away 3-pointer. There were a lot of other plays in the game that if we look back at in our heart of hearts we wish could have gone differently. So to have that one taken away, it is tough. “It is tough, because every possession matters in a game like this.
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