Utah State defeated Villanova 86-76 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on March 20, advancing to the round of 32 for the second time in three years.
The victory marks Utah State’s sixth appearance in the tournament’s second round and only its third since 1971. The Aggies now hold a season record of 29-6, which is the third-highest win total in program history.
Junior guard Mason Falslev and senior guard MJ Collins Jr. led Utah State, combining for 42 points—32 of which came in the second half. Falslev, named Mountain West Player of the Year, scored a team-high 22 points and tied for team-high with seven rebounds. Collins added 20 points and four rebounds. Freshman Adlan Elamin contributed 13 points, while graduate guard Drake Allen finished with 11 points and six assists.
Utah State overcame a ten-point deficit early in the second half after Villanova made ten of its first twenty-one three-point attempts. With the game tied at 73-73 and under four minutes remaining, Utah State closed on a decisive 13-3 run to secure the win. The Aggies shot nearly fifty-five percent from the field but made just two three-pointers out of sixteen attempts—their lowest mark this season.
Villanova was led by Bryce Lindsay with twenty-five points, including six three-pointers. Despite making fourteen threes as a team, Villanova could not maintain its lead late in the game.
With this win, Utah State will face top-seeded Arizona in the tournament’s second round on Sunday, March 22.
