Just moments after outlasting Boise State 90-84 in overtime on Saturday, Utah State coach Danny Sprinkle praised his team’s bravery.
“It takes a lot of courage to come in here and emerge victorious,” Sprinkle remarked. “We are going to savor this triumph until midnight and then it’s time to focus on the upcoming challenge.”
Utah State (18-12, 6-1 Mountain West), ranked 18th, will be hosting San Jose State (8-12, 1-6) in Logan, Utah, on Tuesday. The Aggies are leading the conference, while the Spartans are tied for the bottom spot.
Utah State produced a remarkable conclusion on Saturday. Ian Martinez‘s drive for a layup with 1.3 seconds remaining in regulation forced overtime, and the Aggies capitalized by converting 10 of 11 free throws during the extra period to maintain their position at the top of the league.
“We just had to be us,” Aggies center Isaac Johnson said. “To come here and do this, it’s awesome and a great feeling.”
Sprinkle’s inaugural season at Utah State has been a triumph so far, largely owing to the team’s dominance in the paint.
The offense, led by forward Great Osobor (18.5 points per game, 9.7 rebounds), ranks ninth in Division I in field goal percentage at 49.9, averaging 82.6 points.
Osobor is one of four players scoring in double digits. Martinez (13.8), Mason Falslev (11.5), and Darius Brown II (11.1) play crucial roles in the offense. Brown, a transfer from Middle Tennessee, stands seventh in Division I with 7.0 assists per game.
Per kenpom.com, the Aggies rank 39th in adjusted offensive efficiency, scoring 115.8 points per 100 possessions, and 51st in adjusted defensive efficiency at 99.0. They boast a nearly 58% success rate with their 2-point shot attempts, ranking ninth.
San Jose State suffered a defeat that was within their grasp on Saturday, relinquishing a 12-point first-half lead at home and allowing UNLV to make their final 14 shots from the field in a 77-65 loss. Myron Amey Jr. contributed 18 points and Alvaro Cardenas tallied 14 points and six assists.
“Ultimately, I felt humiliated with how the second half went,” Spartans coach Tim Miles lamented as the Rebels shot 80% from the floor in the second half.
The season has been a regression for San Jose State, which participated in the College Basketball Invitational in 2022-23 and aimed to build on that success. Instead, the Spartans have endured a series of challenging defeats.
There were two overtime losses in nonconference play and three narrow defeats in Mountain West action, including an 81-78 loss at home on Jan. 9 to San Diego State, which played for the national championship last April.
The Spartans possess a formidable backcourt in Cardenas (11.1 points, 6.1 assists) and Amey (15.8 points). Their effective field goal percentage of 53.8 ranks 56th in Division I, according to kenpom, but they have struggled to contain formidable opponents.
San Jose State ranks 285th in adjusted defensive efficiency, 292nd in defensive effective field goal percentage, and 337th in opponents’ 3-point percentage.
Utah State and San Jose State will face off once more on March 6 in the Bay Area during the closing week of the regular season.