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Provo • One half isn't enough. Not against BYU. Not against any quality opponent.
Utah State re-learned that lesson Wednesday night at the Marriott Center, where the Cougars took control of an eventual 80-68 victory when the Aggies stagnated on offense late in the first half.
Utah State owned a 14-12 lead before BYU closed the half on a 27-10 run, including 8-0 over the final four minutes. The Cougars built a 39-24 halftime lead, thanks mainly to the Aggies' 8-for-33 shooting.
"Missed shots from lack of aggression," coach Tim Duryea said. " And they are so good in transition that, if you go [a long time] without scoring any points and they never have to take the ball out of the net, they're going to put too much pressure on you to guard them effectively."
Utah State failed to convert its final 10 possessions of the first half and fell behind by 15 points.
The Aggies trailed by as many as 22 in the second half before finally getting some stops and finding a rhythm on offense. They scored the final 10 points of the game.
"I told our team, I was very proud of them in the second half," Duryea said. "That's the Aggie team from last year. … In the second half, we threw caution to the wind a little bit. We got downhill on the basket. We threw the ball to the roller in our pick-and-roll stuff. Just a totally different team offensively."
Utah State outscored BYU in the second half, 44-41. The Aggies shot 46.9 percent, including 6-for-10 from the three-point line — an aspect of their offense that has been inconsistent.
"We actually played pretty well in the second half," said junior forward Jalen Moore, who led Utah State with 15 points. "But it takes two halves like that to beat a team like BYU. … From now on, we have to play like we did in the second half."
Duryea liked Moore's interior defense, calling it the best of his career. He also praised guard Chris Smith, who harassed BYU star Kyle Collinsworth into 3-for-11 shooting. Collinsworth finished with only eight points.
"… There are a lot of good things to take out of this game," Duryea said. "But against a Mountain West [Conference]-level opponent — a good team like BYU — you can't go scoreless for eight or nine minutes and expect to win."
Rector, making his second start of the season after transferring from Miami Dade College, finished with 12 points and six assists.
"The first half, I didn't think he played very well," Duryea said. "He pounded the ball too much. In the second half, he gave the ball up and the ball came back to him. I thought he played a lot better. …
"He missed a couple of shots around the rim in the first half. I think some of that is getting used to the level [of play]. He doesn't have very many Division I games under his belt and I think he'll keep getting better."
Twitter: @sluhm —
A closer look
• Utah State junior forward Jalen Moore scores 15 points for the Aggies, who lose their fourth straight game against in-state rival BYU.
• The Aggies play well in the second half, when they outscore the Cougars, 44-41.
• USU point guard Shane Rector finishes with 12 points and six assists.