Utah State basketball: Aggies start early before win over Wyoming
USU basketball notes • Aggies make 17 of first 25 shots.
1 of 15Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah State Aggies guard Shane Rector (4) goes in for a shot, as Wyoming Cowboys center Jonath
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah State Aggies guard Shane Rector (4) goes in for a shot, as Wyoming Cowboys center Jonathan Barnes (21) defends, in the Mountain West Conference playoff action, at the Thomas & Mack Center, in Las Vegas, Wednesday, March 8, 2016.
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah State Aggies guard Shane Rector (4) goes in for a shot, as Wyoming Cowboys center JonathRick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah State Aggies cheer as at their team gets off to an early 18 point lead in the first halfRick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah State Aggies forward Quinn Taylor (22) scores as Wyoming Cowboys forward Alan Herndon (5Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah State Aggies forward Quinn Taylor (22) looks for a shot, as Wyoming Cowboys forward AlanRick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah State Aggies guard Shane Rector (4) goes to the hoop, in the Mountain West Conference plRick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah State Aggies guard Shane Rector (4) and Utah State Aggies guard Chris Smith (34) are alRick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah State Aggies forward Quinn Taylor (22) works the ball inside, as Wyoming Cowboys guard ARick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah State Aggies guard Shane Rector (4) goes in for a shot, as Wyoming Cowboys center JonathRick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah State Aggies guard Julion Pearre (5) drives to the basket, as Wyoming Cowboys forward AlRick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune
Wyoming Cowboys guard Josh Adams (14) takes a shot as Wyoming Cowboys guard Josh Adams (14) dRick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune
Wyoming Cowboys guard Josh Adams (14) collides with Utah State Aggies guard Shane Rector (4),Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune
Wyoming Cowboys guard Jason McManamen (23) goes to the hoop, as Utah State Aggies guard ChrisRick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah State Aggies guard Shane Rector (4) leads a fast break, after grabbing the ball from WyoRick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune
Wyoming Cowboys guard Josh Adams (14) gets past Utah State Aggies forward Quinn Taylor (22) fRick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune
Wyoming Cowboys guard Josh Adams (14) takes a shot, as Utah State Aggies guard Shane Rector (
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah State Aggies guard Shane Rector (4) goes in for a shot, as Wyoming Cowboys center Jonathan Barnes (21) defends, in the Mountain West Conference playoff action, at the Thomas & Mack Center, in Las Vegas, Wednesday, March 8, 2016.Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah State Aggies cheer as at their team gets off to an early 18 point lead in the first half, in the Mountain West Conference playoff action, at the Thomas & Mack Center, in Las Vegas, Wednesday, March 8, 2016.Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah State Aggies forward Quinn Taylor (22) scores as Wyoming Cowboys forward Alan Herndon (5) defends for the Wyoming Cowboys in Mountain West Conference playoff action, at the Thomas & Mack Center, in Las Vegas, Wednesday, March 8, 2016.Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah State Aggies forward Quinn Taylor (22) looks for a shot, as Wyoming Cowboys forward Alan Herndon (5) puts on the defensive pressure, in the Mountain West Conference playoff action, at the Thomas & Mack Center, in Las Vegas, Wednesday, March 8, 2016.Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah State Aggies guard Shane Rector (4) goes to the hoop, in the Mountain West Conference playoff action, at the Thomas & Mack Center, in Las Vegas, Wednesday, March 8, 2016.Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah State Aggies guard Shane Rector (4) and Utah State Aggies guard Chris Smith (34) are all smiles after defeating Wyoming Cowboys 88-70, to advance in the Mountain West Conference playoffs, at the Thomas & Mack Center, in Las Vegas, Wednesday, March 8, 2016.Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah State Aggies forward Quinn Taylor (22) works the ball inside, as Wyoming Cowboys guard Alexander Aka Gorski (3) defends, in the Mountain West Conference playoff action, at the Thomas & Mack Center, in Las Vegas, Wednesday, March 8, 2016.Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah State Aggies guard Shane Rector (4) goes in for a shot, as Wyoming Cowboys center Jonathan Barnes (21) defends, in the Mountain West Conference playoff action, at the Thomas & Mack Center, in Las Vegas, Wednesday, March 8, 2016.Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah State Aggies guard Julion Pearre (5) drives to the basket, as Wyoming Cowboys forward Alan Herndon (5) defends, in the Mountain West Conference playoff action, at the Thomas & Mack Center, in Las Vegas, Wednesday, March 8, 2016.Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune
Wyoming Cowboys guard Josh Adams (14) takes a shot as Wyoming Cowboys guard Josh Adams (14) defends, in the Mountain West Conference playoff action, at the Thomas & Mack Center, in Las Vegas, Wednesday, March 8, 2016.Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune
Wyoming Cowboys guard Josh Adams (14) collides with Utah State Aggies guard Shane Rector (4), in the Mountain West Conference playoff action, at the Thomas & Mack Center, in Las Vegas, Wednesday, March 8, 2016.Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune
Wyoming Cowboys guard Jason McManamen (23) goes to the hoop, as Utah State Aggies guard Chris Smith (34) defends, in the Mountain West Conference playoff action, at the Thomas & Mack Center, in Las Vegas, Wednesday, March 8, 2016.Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah State Aggies guard Shane Rector (4) leads a fast break, after grabbing the ball from Wyoming Cowboys guard Alexander Aka Gorski (3), in the Mountain West Conference playoff action, at the Thomas & Mack Center, in Las Vegas, Wednesday, March 8, 2016.Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune
Wyoming Cowboys guard Josh Adams (14) gets past Utah State Aggies forward Quinn Taylor (22) for a shot, in the Mountain West Conference playoff action, at the Thomas & Mack Center, in Las Vegas, Wednesday, March 8, 2016.Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune
Wyoming Cowboys guard Josh Adams (14) takes a shot, as Utah State Aggies guard Shane Rector (4) defends, in the Mountain West Conference playoff action, at the Thomas & Mack Center, in Las Vegas, Wednesday, March 8, 2016.
This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Las Vegas • Utah State got up early for its Mountain West Conference tournament opener against Wyoming on Wednesday.
The Aggies arrived at the Thomas & Mack Center at 7:30 a.m. for a pre-game shootaround. After a light 25-minute session, they returned to their hotel. The game started at 11 a.m.
"That's a unique game time for us," coach Tim Duryea said. "In this league, sometimes you play two o'clock games but never any earlier than that."
The morning tip didn't bother Utah State, which made 17 of its first 25 shots.
"I'm not sure we would have done [the early shootaround] except we were the only team in the league this year that didn't come here on a road trip. So we thought it was important, even though it was [early], that we get some shooting in on this floor. I think it helped us a little bit. I really do," said Duryea.
Aztecs up next
With the win, Utah State advanced to a quarterfinal game against top-seeded San Diego State on Thursday. Since joining the Mountain West, the Aggies are 0-6 against the Aztecs.
"We've got to rebound the ball, similar to what we did today," Duryea said. "That's Step 1 when you play them. You've got to rebound the ball, No. 1, and then you have to be patient-but-aggressive on offense. If you're not aggressive against them, they will chew you up and spit you out with that defense. You've got to be aggressive yet not force shots. There's a real fine line there."
Said point guard Shane Rector: "We know they are a good team. … [But] we feel we can play with them. And this is a tournament. Anyone can win one game. We're going to compete and try to do what we did today."
Briefly
Wyoming had only seven scholarship players available after coach Larry Shyatt suspended five players last week, including two key back-ups. Asked if the suspensions impacted the outcome against Utah State, Shyatt said, "No." … Duryea became the first Utah State coach since LaDell Andersen 1962 to win his first postseason game. … Wyoming shot 34 free throws — six more than any previous Aggie opponent.
