Last week, Utah State nearly beat the home team in the championship of Wyoming's Cowboy Classic. Nate Wickizer was tournament MVP. Monday night in the Spectrum, the Aggies began their first Big West Conference season under new coach Larry Eustachy upsetting a team with designs on the BWC title.
At this rate, Eustachy isn't going to get the sympathy vote much longer.Free throws from Tony Schumacher, Trent Rose and Eric Franson took what had been a three-point game to a 74-65 Aggie victory over University of the Pacific in the Smith Spectrum.
Twice USU led by nine; Pacific's last lead was 29-28, but the Tigers were rarely down by more than four and were tied as late as 60-60.
"I don't think we caught Pacific at their best," Eustachy said. "They'll play better."
That's true, but it's also obvious the Aggies - with only nine scholarship players, who nearly lost Wickizer (brief retirement) and who did lose Bryon Ruffner to a bad back - are better than Eustachy lets on.
"Most people thought we were going to lose. Our team was the only one that thought we would win," said Aggie junior guard Corwin Woodard. That's because Eustachy kept saying Pacific's the most-organized, best-executing, best-coached team he's seen. Eustachy said Monday's game didn't change his opinion.
Woodard came off the bench for 21 points in his Big West debut. The junior-college product made seven of 11 shots. He and Eustachy each called it his best game. "A perfect game," Eustachy said. Wickizer was even better, missing only one shot for a 23-point night against a defense determined to double-team him.
And Ag freshman Jarobi Kemp hounded the Big West's No. 2 scorer, Michael Jackson (20.4), to a six-point night by denying him access to the ball. "We told (Kemp), the minute (Jackson) comes out that tunnel, you jump on him," said Eustachy. Kemp fouled out with :32 left, but Jackson missed two free throws that would have pulled Pacific within two.
Shooting by Wickizer and Woodard and a 4-for-5 night from Roddie Anderson gave USU a field-goal percentage of 66 (21-32), 72 percent the first half.
Both marks were better than the free-throw percentage , which was lots better than Pacific's . The Ags made 30 of 49 on the line, UOP 12 of 22. Four Tigers fouled out, including their best weapon, Glenn Griffin, who left at 5:24 with 18 points. Pacific had 35 fouls, USU 20.
Pacific coach Bob Thomason bit his tongue but admitted, "How can you not be upset? We're about the most passive team in the history of basketball." Aside from fouls and missed free throws, Thomason said the Tigers played as well as they have all season. "I thought they'd have to earn this victory, and they did," he said of USU.
Both teams' game plans centered on Wickizer, the Ags trying to get him more shots and Pacific fouling out trying to prevent it.
Wickizer said he doesn't block shots much any more because of fouls, and he said he was told to not play help-defense for the same reason, but he went against both commandments to block a Charles Terrell attempt with about three minutes left that could have tied the game at 62. "I had to," he said. At the other end, his tough turnaround jumper made it 64-60 for USU.
That kind of Aggie play in the waning minutes won the game. "Every game comes down to making plays the last three minutes, and they did," Thomason said.
"I kept thinking what Bob (Thomason) said at the (Big Blue Club Monday) luncheon, that with three minutes to go if it's close, they can win," said Eustachy. "I was afraid he was right. With three minutes to go, I had Nate and four guys who didn't play (here) last year on the court. I was glad we were able to win the last three minutes."
San Jose State visits Wednesday.