For a second straight night, Utah State started off a game with a pretty abysmal stretch of offense. And yet for a second straight game the Aggies pulled off a second-half rally and closed it out to win. This time the final tally read 61-57 in favor of USU over North Texas. Utah Sate didn’t miss 18 straight field goals like it did against St. Bonaventure, but the Aggies did shoot 8 of 23 in the first half against North Texas in the title game of the two-game NIT Season Tip-Off tournament. Though in another similarity to the Thanksgiving Day game, Utah State kept the game close despite poor shooting. The Mean Green were themselves only 10 of 31 from the field and held only a 25-23 advantage at the break. As to why the Aggies have had back-to-back poor shooting starts, head coach Jerrod Calhoun said the shot selection hasn’t been the issue. “We’re getting open shots,” Calhoun said. “I’m not hitting the panic button. It’s nothing that we’re doing offensively. If you really watch the tape, the shots are wide open. So everybody’s going to go through a shooting slump or two throughout the season. Got to keep shooting

LAS VEGAS (AP) — San Jose State said Thursday it was disappointed Boise State forfeited its semifinal match in the Mountain West women’s volleyball tournament but that the Spartans were focused on the future. Boise State, which twice boycotted regular-season matches with San Jose State, pulled out of the conference tournament Wednesday night, hours after securing a spot against the Spartans in Friday’s semifinals. With Boise State’s withdrawal, San Jose State advanced to Saturday’s championship match. While the Broncos didn’t announce explicitly why they withdrew, a lawsuit was recently filed in Colorado by players from various schools against the conference and San Jose State officials calling for a Spartans player not to be allowed to participate in the tournament. They cited unspecified reports asserting there was a transgender player on the San Jose State volleyball team, even naming her. U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Kato Crews in Denver ruled Monday that the player was allowed to play, and a federal appeals court upheld the decision the following day. “In this time of Thanksgiving, we are especially thankful for those who continue to engage in civil and respectful discourse,” San Jose State’s statement said. “We celebrate and support all of our students,

Despite missing 18 straight field goals in the first half and facing a nine point deficit early in the second half — the largest faced by USU this season — the Aggies hung on to beat St. Bonaventure 72-67 in the opening round of the NIT Season Tip-off in Orlando on Thanksgiving. Utah State’s offensive numbers entering this week were what jumped off the page for most people. A 98.6 points per game average (first in the nation) and top ten ranks in most shooting percentage categories were about as impressive as it gets. But the question for teams with those kinds of numbers always tends to be what happens when the shots aren’t falling. For Utah State, the answer is just to win anyway. The Aggies have won back-to-back games in uglier fashion with this Thanksgiving win alongside the victory over Iowa earlier this week. “Really what you got look at is, around the country, who’s winning like that,” USU head coach Jerrod Calhoun asked. “In this NIL and this [transfer] portal world, who wins ugly like that, with so many new players? Not a lot. And I think that’s what makes Utah State a different place.” The defining

LAS VEGAS, Nevada – Utah State volleyball saw their season come to an end in the first round of the Mountain West Tournament, falling to Boise State, 3-1 (25-19, 18-25, 25-20, 25-23) on Wednesday at Cox Pavilion.  Head coach Rob Neilson “Sometimes competition breaks your heart. I am so proud of this group and their battle all season. Climbing back into that fourth set was special, but ultimately not enough to beat a tough Boise State team. I am so proud of Adna, Kelsey and Kaylie for all they’ve given to our program, and extremely excited for the future of Aggie volleyball with a talented group of future stars. Amazing things to come, the Aggies are on the rise!” Set One After USU defeated the Broncos twice during the regular season, Boise State came out in the opening set determined for a different result, opening up an 8-2 lead to begin the match. After the Broncos led by as many as eight points, Utah State rallied with an 8-3 stretch to claw back within three points. BSU responded with another run to restore their lead and extend it to nine points at 23-14. The Aggies fought back with a 5-0 burst

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Boise State, which twice boycotted regular-season matches with San Jose State, pulled out of the Mountain West women’s volleyball tournament Wednesday night even after securing a spot in the semifinals against the Spartans. San Jose State, which received six forfeit victories because of boycotts from Mountain West opponents, is seeded second in the conference tournament and received a first-round bye. Now the Spartans will advance all the way to Saturday’s championship match rather than take the court Friday. Boise State released a statement that read: “The decision to not continue to play in the 2024 Mountain West Volleyball Championship tournament was not an easy one. Our team overcame forfeitures to earn a spot in the tournament field and fought for the win over Utah State in the first round on Wednesday. They should not have to forgo this opportunity while waiting for a more thoughtful and better system that serves all athletes.” The statement came hours after the Broncos defeated Utah State 25-19, 18-25, 25-20, 25-23 in the quarterfinals. Boise State didn’t commit immediately after the match to playing San Jose State. What went into its decision to withdraw from the tournament was unclear, whether it