Photos by Drew Nielson / Additional information about Drew’s work (or inquiries about purchasing his photos) can be found at lumberjackphoto.com. Source link
Over the last two weeks, Utah State has failed nearly every test that would have bolstered its chances at securing the Mountain West championship. Losses at Nevada, at San Diego State, and most recently at UNLV, have all made the Aggies take a step back in a tightly contested race. And yet, despite all of those missteps, Utah State is now the champions of Mountain West men’s basketball (though only a share of the title is guarenteed). It’s because the Aggies weren’t the only team stepping on rakes at every turn. Their two biggest rivals in the league title race have been San Diego State and New Mexico. But while USU is 1-3 in its last four games, the Aztecs are 1-4 in their last five games and the Lobos are 1-2 in their last three. Had any of these three teams posted a winning record in the last couple weeks, we’d already have an outright champion. The Aggies clinced their share of the regular season Mountain West title on Wednesday, after Colorado State defeated New Mexico 82-74 in The Pit. Utah State head coach Jerrod Calhoun sent Rams head coach Ali Farokhmanesh a thank you for that assist. “I did
WASHINGTON (AP) — Ace Bailey crashed Trae Young’s Washington debut, scoring 21 of his career-high 32 points in the first half to lift the Utah Jazz to a 122-112 victory over the Wizards on Thursday night. Young, who was traded from Atlanta to Washington in January, had 12 points and six assists while playing just 19 minutes. He’d been sidelined by knee and quadriceps injuries and was on a minutes restriction. Juju Reese had 18 points and 20 rebounds for the Wizards, who have lost seven straight. Utah snapped a seven-game skid of its own. Bailey, who was taken by the Jazz with the fifth pick in last year’s draft — one spot ahead of where Washington picked — made seven 3-pointers while surpassing his previous high of 25 points. Although Young’s appearance in the starting lineup was welcomed by the home crowd, the Wizards trailed by 14 after one quarter. Washington’s Tre Johnson missed a breakaway dunk in the second, and although Young provided his share of highlights — including a pass between the legs of a defender to set up Anthony Gill’s layup in the third — Washington couldn’t come all the way back. Perhaps that was to
Photos by Clint Allen / Additional information about Clint’s work (or inquiries about purchasing his photos) can be found at clintallen.smugmug.com. Source link
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Jamal Murray scored 45 points and made the go-ahead free throws with 31.8 seconds remaining to help the Denver Nuggets hold off the depleted Utah Jazz 128-125 on Monday night. Utah’s Keyonte George scored 36 points, but was denied two free throws that could have given the Jazz the lead on what would have been Nikola Jokic’s sixth foul with 16.3 seconds remaining — a shooting foul that was reversed to a blocked shot after a lengthy review. Jokic, who had 22 points and 12 rebounds, made two free throws with 6.1 seconds left and George missed a last-second 3-pointer as the Nuggets escaped with the win. Cam Johnson was a late scratch with a hurt ankle, but Julian Strawther scored 15 points and Jonas Valanciunas added 13 for Denver. With Jokic on the bench and most of his teammates lacking energy in the second game of a back to back, Murray made five 3s and scored 18 points in the third quarter to push the Nuggets to a 100-93 lead entering the fourth. Murray was 13 of 19 from the field and had eight 3s along with seven turnovers. George, in his second game
All Utah State needed Tuesday evening was 40 minutes of quality basketball against UNLV in Las Vegas and it would be able to claim the title of Mountain West men’s basketball champions. But 20 of those minutes featured some of the worst offense from the normally dangerous Aggies while the other 20 minutes showcased some of the worst defense the team has played all year. Add those two together and it equaled a 92-65 victory for the Runnin Rebels. The path to a Mountain West title remains in USU’s hands despite this loss, but it becomes concerning that the team has now played in four consecutive games that had significant ramifications for either control in the Mountain West standings or, like on Tuesday, a chance to claim at least a share of the league title. But in these four games Utah State has won only a single time and have put forward their worst two performances of the season — a 17-points loss at San Diego State and the defeat to the Rebels on Tuesday. “It’s concerning the way we lost,” USU head coach Jerrod Calhoun said. “You’re 40 minutes away from having a chance to win a championship and
Utah State enters March needing only 40 minutes of basketball to clinch a second Mountain West regular season championship in three seasons. The first chance at securing that trophy will come away from Logan, along with a chance at something else: revenge. The Aggies lost at home to UNLV back on Jan. 20, the only home loss USU has suffered all year, and will look to even things up on the Rebels’ home turf. Multiple motivating factors are present for Utah State to come away with a victory as the final week of the regular season begins. Here’s all of the necessary info ahead of this game for the Aggies. How to watch Tip-off: March 3, 2026 at 9:00 p.m. (Mountain Time) Location: Thomas & Mack Center (Las Vegas, NV) TV Broadcast: CBS Sports Network Radio Broadcast: KVNU (102.1 FM, 610 AM) / kvnutalk.com / KVNU mobile app KVNU Aggie GameDay pregame show with Stockton Jewkes and J.D. Walker: 8:00 p.m. KVNU Aggie Call: Immediately after Coach Jerrod Calhoun’s post-game comments Text (435) 554-1175 or call (435) 753-5868 during the pregame or postgame show to give your thoughts and reactions for the game. Projected Starters Utah State (24-5, 14-4 MW) G – Drake Allen (6-5, Sr.)
Photos by Clint Allen / Additional information about Clint’s work (or inquiries about purchasing his photos) can be found at clintallen.smugmug.com. Source link
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Saddiq Bey scored 24 points as New Orleans beat the Jazz 115-105 on Saturday night to complete a two-game sweep in Utah after Pelicans star Zion Williamson left the game with an ankle injury. Williamson left early in the second quarter with a right ankle injury and didn’t return. He had four points, two assists and a rebound in 11 minutes. Pelicans interim coach James Borrego said only that Williams “tweaked” his ankle. He said he would get more information and hoped it was nothing serious. Bey, coming off a 42-point performance in Thursday’s 129-118 win of the Pelicans, shot 7 for 16 from the field and 3 for 8 from long distance, and was helped by 7-for-10 shooting from the line. Jeremiah Fears and Bryce McGowens each scored 18 points, Herbert Jones scored 10 of his 17 points in the first half and Jordan Poole added 11. Fears chipped in 11 rebounds and five assists as New Orleans won its fourth straight and for the sixth time in eight games. Isaiah Collier’s 21 points led Utah, which lost its fifth straight. Keyonte George, who was back in the lineup after missing 10 games with
For only the second time this season, Utah State is on a losing streak with back-to-back losses on the road to Nevada and San Diego State. The Aggies will look to end the skid against a Grand Canyon team they lost to earlier in the season (and was part of the only other losing streak of the year). It’ll be a battle of two teams that are fiercly proud of their home courts and student sections. Members of USU’s student section, The HURD, have been camping outside the arena for most of the week in anticipation of this rematch. Here’s all of the necessary info ahead of this key late-season game for Utah State. How to watch Tip-off: Feb. 28, 2026 at 8 p.m. (Mountain Time) Location: Dee Glen Smith Spectrum (Logan, UT) TV Broadcast: FS1 Radio Broadcast: KVNU (102.1 FM, 610 AM) / kvnutalk.com / KVNU mobile app KVNU Aggie GameDay pregame show with Stockton Jewkes and J.D. Walker: 7 p.m. KVNU Aggie Call: Immediately after Coach Jerrod Calhoun’s post-game comments Text (435) 554-1175 or call (435) 753-5868 during the pregame or postgame show to give your thoughts and reactions for the game. Projected Starters Utah State (23-5, 13-4 MW) G – Drake Allen (6-5, Sr.) – 7.0 points
