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LOGAN, Utah - A 6-0 EA Sports scoring streak spanning the last minute and a half of the game was too much for Utah State, resulting in an 86-81 win for the visitors in a men's basketball exhibition contest Wednesday night at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.
Junior forward Gary Wilkinson, a native of South Jordan, Utah, tallied team highs of 18 points and six rebounds in his Aggie debut, while fellow newcomer, junior guard Desmond Stephens (Bloomington, Ind.) tossed in 10 as the only other USU player in double figures.
Senior All-American guard Jaycee Carroll (Evanston, Wyo.) was held to just nine points.
Roberto Bergersen netted a game-high 20 points, while Cory Violette and Jason Forte added 13 points apiece for EA Sports, a collection of former college players from around the country.
For the game, EA Sports shot 58.5 percent (31-of-53) from the field, including a blistering 71.4 percent (10-of-14) from three-point range, netting all four of its attempts in the second half.
USU was 48.3 percent (28-of-58) from the field and hit just 30.0 percent (6-of-20) behind the arc.
The Aggies were 19-of-23 (82.6 percent) at the free throw line compared to 14-of-19 (73.7 percent) for EA Sports.
Utah State trailed, 21-20, at the 10:10 mark of the first half, but Wilkinson ignited a 19-9 run over the next eight minutes and the Aggies took a 42-39 lead into the half.
Wilkinson hit a pair of free throws at 15:58 to stretch USU's advantage to 50-43, but EA Sports closed the gap to 61-60 at 10:31, before consecutive three-pointers by Stephens expanded the Aggie lead to 67-60 with 9:42 to play.
EA Sports clawed back as Earnest Scott hit a three-pointer with 7:35 on the clock for a 70-67 lead, its first since 21-20.
The Aggie deficit grew to seven at 78-71 with 4:50 to play but Wilkinson again spearheaded a rally with a jumper and Carroll capped the 6-0 spurt with a jumper to pull USU within 78-77 at the 3:42 mark.
Junior guard DeUndrae Spraggins (East St. Louis, Ill.) had a steal and a breakaway dunk for a 81-80 lead with 1:55 to go but that was USU's last points as EA Sports scored the final six points to pull away.
Utah State hosts Laval University in its final exhibition on Saturday, Nov. 3 at 7:05 p.m. at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, in a doubleheader with the USU women.
The Aggies begin the 2007-08 season officially with a home game against in-state foe Southern Utah on Friday, Nov. 9, the first of an eight-games in 16-day span for USU, including three home games, three road contests and two neutral site games.
