Utah State University’s men’s basketball team secured the outright Mountain West regular season championship with a 94-90 win over New Mexico on Saturday at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. The victory gives the Aggies their third Mountain West title overall and marks the second time they have won the championship outright since joining the conference in 2013.
The Aggies finished the regular season with a 25-6 overall record and a 15-5 mark in conference play. This season represents Utah State’s 12th time reaching at least 25 wins, and it is also the first instance of achieving four consecutive seasons with more than 25 victories.
Senior players played a significant role in the win, contributing a combined total of 62 points. Senior guard MJ Collins Jr. led all scorers with 27 points, adding six rebounds, an assist, and a steal. Other seniors recognized after the game included Drake Allen, Kolby King, Zach Keller, and Garry Clark. Allen scored 14 points and provided seven assists along with five rebounds, two steals, and one block. Keller added eight points, King had seven, and Clark contributed six.
The Aggies maintained control for most of the game, leading for over 38 minutes while trailing for less than one minute. Utah State shot 50 percent from the field and made ten three-pointers out of twenty-seven attempts. New Mexico stayed competitive throughout by shooting nearly as efficiently at 48 percent from the field.
Utah State began strongly by making ten of its first fifteen shots to build an early double-digit lead. Although New Mexico closed the first half on a run to take its only lead going into halftime at 94-90, Utah State quickly regained control in the second half with a strong start that included back-to-back three-pointers from Collins Jr.
The Aggies never regained a double-digit advantage but managed to stay ahead through efficient free throw shooting, finishing at over eighty-three percent from the line and converting eighteen of twenty-one attempts in the second half.
Junior guard Mason Falslev contributed fifteen points along with three rebounds and four assists. Karson Templin added fifteen points off the bench with five rebounds.
Utah State will next compete as the top seed in the Mountain West men’s basketball tournament scheduled for March 11-14 at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
For updates on Utah State men’s basketball, fans can follow official social media accounts or watch highlights on YouTube.
