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Utah State sets program record in 48-point win over San Jose State | Sports



LOGAN – Some games everything just goes your way. Such was Utah State’s experience Wednesday evening in a 105-57 undressing of the visiting San Jose State Spartans. The 48-point victory of victory set a new program record for margin of victory in a conference game, surpassing USU’s 45-point win over the same Spartans program in Dec. 2020.

Utah State needed just over five minutes to establish a double-digit lead, going up 16-6, and the gap only grew bigger as more time ticked off the clock. From 10 points, up to 15 halfway through the opening period, all the way up to 23 at the halftime break. The lead ballooned to as high as 51, spurred by an offense that could hardly miss, and a defense that never relented.

The Aggies’s ability to close out an opponent they’ve dominated for the first 25 minutes of a game has come into question across several recent games. The Aggies held leads of 24 points, 21 and 10 in the second halves against Fresno State, Colorado State and New Mexico, respectively. Those margins were all trimmed down to at least single digits by the end of the respective games, with USU even losing to the Lobos.

The Aggies were determined this time around to not let that happen.

“One thing we really talked about is defensive stamina,” sophomore forward Tucker Anderson said. “There were times the second half we get with some easy points, but we talked about how we know what we’re capable of. And it’s really what we can do and trying to focus on our strengths and coming out in the second half and not looking at the score and just playing as hard as we can for 20 minutes in that second half because we seem to have really good first half but second half defense is where we struggled.”

Every player found a way to get involved at some point, with many finding their moment to make the highlight reel. Ian Martinez led the Aggies with 22 points in just over 24 minutes on the court. Mason Falslev added 13 of his own, also dishing out eight assists, including a couple of alley-oops.

Drake Allen brought the house down with a slam dunk that made a 7-foot-2 center re-consider playing defense.

Anderson had a break-out game, scoring 11 points, hitting a trio of 3-pointers and adding a dunk off an assist from Allen. It’s his first double-digit scoring night since Jan. 25 and first in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum since Nov. 13.

“I’ve wanted [to perform] so bad, being in this building in front of these fans,” Anderson said. “And one thing about Calhoun’s offense and the guys I’m playing with is I’m going to get open shots. So just trying to stay ready to knock him down, and saw a couple go through tonight and then kind of kind of felt the momentum. And [my] teammates kept finding me the ball. I think that transition by Drake Allen we threw the bottom back pass for my dunk, it just kind of shows the unselfishness of this team, like, he could go and get himself one but he gives it to me and you know tries to help me get going.”

And at the end of the game, players who haven’t seen as much time under the bright lights had their moments. Isaac Davis hit a layup and also made the free throw that got the Aggies to the century mark. Jaxon Smith, the walk-on guard and part-time human victory cigar, made a pair of 3-pointers.

USU head coach Jerrod Calhoun made a point to highlight Smith as one of the key returners from last year’s team and highlight his impact and what it meant for him to put in a solid showing at the tail end of the night.

“Really happy for Jaxon Smith,” Calhoun said. “He’s why you get into college basketball. I think we’re losing some of the purity of college basketball and team. That’s what makes this job really special. We have a lot of that. We have guys that really value the jersey and Jaxon’s one of those guys. When I got here, he’s been unbelievable, those five [returning] kids, but Jaxon’s one of the guys that never gets credit. So for him to go into game and made that shot, see the you know the reaction of his teammates. I think that shows you what he brings to our team. So a lot of times the scout guys get no credit. To me, that was pretty awesome to see him light that A tonight.”

A sixth player from last year’s Utah State team was also on the court: Josh Uduje. The former Aggie transferred to SJSU in a last-minute move and finally made his return to the Spectrum and got uniquely positive treatment from Utah State’s student section, The HURD.

It began with the starting lineup introductions. Normally, after each name from the opponent’s starting five is read, the HURD turn their backs and yell out “SUCKS” in response, but tonight they gave a quick cheer of approval at the sound of the player who once wore the fighting white (and then returned to their usual act when all the others were announced).

In another fun interaction, Uduje went to the free throw line in the first half. The HURD chanted “We love Josh!” and “We miss Josh!” before each attempt. Uduje missed both and the HURD made light of that moment too, chanting afterward “Josh misses us!”

“They really treated Josh I thought with the respect that that he deserves, you know that That team last year was pretty special,” Calhoun said. “And I told Josh, as long as I’m the coach, which hopefully is going to be for a long time, he’s always welcome. He’s a class act kid. And in this landscape, as crazy as it sounds, you can’t have any hard feelings for kids, because you’re going to see more and more of this as the time goes.

The HURD also made good with SJSU head coach Tim Miles, gifting him a half gallon of chocolate flavored Aggie Ice Cream after apparently snubbing him a year ago.

Wednesday’s win keeps the Aggies (13-3 in MW play) ahead of the two teams on their heels in the conference standings — San Diego State and Colorado State (both 11-4) — and now puts them within striking distance of New Mexico, which lost to Boise State. Utah State now just trails the Lobos (14-2) by one game in the standings. And while the Lobos hold the tiebreaker for the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament, the right to be co-champions is just one game out of reach from Utah State.

But even that will depend on USU taking care of its own business as it has a home matchup against the Aztecs on Saturday in front of what will be a sold-out crowd in the Spectrum.





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