No. 18 Utah State beats Fresno State 87-75 in quarterfinals of the Mountain West tourney
Thu, Mar 14, 2024
NCAAB News (AP)
LAS VEGAS (AP) - Great Osobor had 29 points and 17 rebounds as No. 18 Utah State defeated Fresno State 87-75 in overtime in a quarterfinal round game of the Mountain West Conference tournament on Thursday.
Darius Brown had 17 points and 11 assists and Javon Jackson scored 16 points for the Aggies (27-5), the tournament's top seed.
Jalen Weaver scored 19 points, Isaiah Hill added 17 and Isaiah Pope 12 for the Bulldogs (12-21).
Osobor, the conference's player of the year, missed the front end of a 1-and-1 before Fresno State's Hill dropped in a layup to tie the game at 70 with 1:20 remaining. Both teams missed 3-point attempts in the final minute.
In the overtime, Jackson hit a 3-pointer and Osobor scored in the paint to put Utah State up by five. Osobor hit one of two free throws and extended the lead to 76-70 with 2:29 left in the extra session. Brown hit a 15-footer to stretch the lead to 78-70 with 1:43 left. Fresno State turned the ball over and couldn't get any closer.
BIG PICTURE
Utah State: The Aggies will await the winner of the UNLV-San Diego State game pitting the fourth and fifth seeds in the tournament. The are 27-5 overall and won the conference regular season title with a 14-4 record.
Fresno State: Won its first game in the MWC tournament, 77-73, over Wyoming. Bulldogs coach Justin Hutson's contract expires on April 30. Neither Hutson nor the school has discussed the situation prior to the tournament. The Bulldogs have five seniors in their regular rotation, starters Hill, Pope, Leo Colimerio and Xavier Dusell, along with reserve Donovan Yap.
UP NEXT
Utah State: Will face the winner of the UNLV-San Diego State game, in the semifinals.
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