Utah State clutches out victory over Akron to advance to Cayman Islands title game – Cache Valley Daily
Utah State cheerleader. Photo by Robert K. Scott Utah State pulled off its best quality win of the young season, topping preseason MAC favorite Akron 65-62 and advancing to the championship game of the Cayman Islands Classic in the process. The Aggies led for 78 percent of the game, and for each of the last five minutes and 40 seconds of the second half, but never pulled away from the Zips. USU’s largest lead came with 8:52 left in the game when it led 49-43. Akron never went away, making Utah State sweat it out in the final minutes of the game. Over the last five minutes of the game, Utah State stretched its lead to four points three different times, only for Akron to draw back within two. The Zips never tied the game, but did keep pushing the game to a one-possession contest. The back-and-forth largely came from Great Osobor, who led USU with 24 points and 11 rebounds, and Akron’s star forward Enrique Freeman, who led all scorers with 25 points. In the few minutes, Osobor had to be subbed out on defensive possessions since he picked up his fourth foul with 2:26 remaining and the Zips were
