Estimated read time: 6-7 minutes
- Utah State men's basketball narrowly defeated VCU 80-77 in Frisco Texas.
- USU led by 18 points but VCU tied the game with 34 seconds left.
- Coach Calhoun praised the team's resilience despite 18 turnovers and 23 fouls.
It looked like the Aggies were going to cruise to a neutral site victory Friday night in Frisco, Texas.
The Utah State men's basketball team had built a 18-point lead with 11-and-a-half minutes to play, weathered a 8-0 run by VCU and was enjoying a 14-point advantage with six minutes left in the contest. The Rams had other thoughts at the Comerica Center — home of the G-League's Texas Legends and practice facility for the NHL's Dallas Stars.
VCU scored 10 straight points and used a 14-1 run to tie the game at 76-76 with 34 ticks left on the clock. However, USU can breath a huge sigh of relief, escaping with a 80-77 victory.
"Obviously, a roller coaster of a game," USU head coach Jerrod Calhoun said. "The important thing is we won. These are the games you worry about this early in the season. We knew VCU would be relentless. We knew their pressure was going to be real. I thought the last eight to 10 minutes they (Rams) were just relentless in their pursuit of the basketball. … I'm really proud of our guys sticking together. Hopefully in March this will be a big resume builder."
Garry Clark grabbed his 14th rebound of the game on a missed 3-pointer by MJ Collins Jr., spun and went hard to the hole for a layup with 15 seconds left. USU fouled on the other end, and the Rams made just one free throw with four seconds to play.
"We wouldn't have won a game like this last year," Calhoun said. "We only made six threes tonight, but we out rebounded that team. Garry (Clark) and Zack (Keller) add toughness to our basketball team, and we will be able to win ugly. We really did that the last eight minutes. Garry was engaged."
VCU was forced to foul. Collins went to the charity stripe with three seconds on the clock and sank both free throws. Karson Templin got his hand on a long pass by the Rams, and Mason Falslev came up with the ball and dribbled out the clock.
"There were a lot of highs and lows, which is something that comes with time as we build more culture together," Aggie guard Drake Allen said. "When we are good, we are really good. When it started crashing, you just have to find a way to bounce back, find a way to take a punch and give one right back. They took a lot of punches, and so did we. It was closer at the end than we wanted it to be, but some games are going to be like that. We stuck together tonight."
Calhoun was happy with the win, but had to shake his head at 18 turnovers and 23 fouls whistled on his team. The Rams (1-1) turned nine second half turnovers into 15 points.
"My biggest fear the whole week was turnovers," Calhoun said. "There is only so much you can practice until you get in those situations. Yeah, not pleased with the last eight minutes of the game."
VCU also had trouble with turnovers, finishing with 19, but eight of those came in the second half as the Rams were able to clean up things a bit. The Aggies (2-0) turned the 19 turnovers into 22 points.
Collins led USU with a game-best 22 points. Falslev finished with 18 points, despite dealing with foul trouble. Clark came off the bench to net 11 points and grab a game-high 14 rebounds. Allen had game highs in assists with nine and steals with six. Templin blocked three shots.
"MJ (Collins) made the two biggest free throws of the game," Calhoun said. "I've been saying it all along, he is a kid that is really going to benefit from playing for the Aggies. He can really score the ball. His percentages are great. We needed him. I think he is an All-Mountain West guy."
The Rams had four players reach double figures in scoring. Nyk Lewis led the way with 19, followed by Jadrian Tracy (16), Ahmad Nowell (12) and Tyrell Ward (11).
"I don't think we were ever steady; we just kind of outlasted them," Calhoun said.
It took the Aggies a few minutes to work out some kinks as three straight turnovers had them stuck at two points for a nearly two minutes. It helped that the Rams came up empty on five straight possessions.
Anderson drilled a 3-pointer off a pass from Allen to spark a 8-0 run. Templin scored in the paint, and Falslev knocked down a shot from long range to put USU up 10-5.
VCU fought back with five straight points to tie the game.
After four lead changes, the Aggies surged ahead with six unanswered points. Collins put USU up with a layup off a pass from Elijah Perryman. Collins scored again on the break when Kolby King found him for a layup. Keller sank a pair of free throws for his first points as an Aggie to give USU a 21-16 lead with 11:14 left in the opening half.
After a Rams bucket, the Aggies were running again. This time USU scored nine straight points as Perryman made consecutive drives to the hoop and finished. Clark grabbed his own blocked shot, scored, was fouled and made the free throw. Collins capped the run with another easy bucket on the break off a pass from Perryman, giving USU a 30-18 lead and forcing a timeout by the Rams.
"I just go out and give it my all," Perryman said. "I just try and keep my composure and stick to what I know I can do."
A pair of free throws by Allen gave the Aggies their largest lead in the first half, 40-25, with four minutes before halftime.
The Rams did not wilt, but got back in the game with a 8-0 run and got within 42-36 with two minutes left in the first half.
The Aggies took a 45-36 lead into the break as Falslev scored on a rebound bucket.
USU shot 58.6 percent from the field over the first 20 minutes and made 5 of 8 from long range. The Aggies did have nine turnovers, but the Rams had 11. USU turned those turnovers into 18 points, while VCU only scored four off the USU miscues.
"We did a good job in practice emphasizing getting in the gaps," Allen said of getting steals. "We tried to get on the ground first for every 50-50 ball. That's something I've taken pride in. There is a little bit of luck too."
After trading baskets to start the second half, the Aggies reeled off eight straight points to build a 55-39 advantage with 16 minutes to go. Falslev had five of those points.
Allen sank a pair of free throws to give USU a 62-44 lead with 12:12 left in the game. A minute later VCU would score eight straight to make it interesting.
However, Keller scored, followed by free throws by Clark and a bucket from Collins to make it 70-56 with six minutes left in the contest. The wheels then started to wobble for USU down the stretch.
Still, the Aggies made just enough plays to pull out the win.
"I think VCU is a fantastic team, so that was a really good win," Calhoun said.
