3 keys in No. 18 Utah State’s win over Fresno State in MWC tournament quarterfinals

Brandon Judd
·2 min read
Utah State Aggies guard Darius Brown II (10) attempts a shot with Fresno State Bulldogs guard Donavan Yap Jr. (0) and Fresno State Bulldogs guard Jalen Weaver (5) on defense during the game between the Utah State Aggies and the Fresno State Bulldogs in the quarterfinals of the Mountain West 2024 Men's Basketball Tournament at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas on Thursday, March 14, 2024.

LAS VEGAS — It was much closer than expected from a No. 1 vs. No. 9 seeded matchup, but No. 18 Utah State and Fresno State went to overtime for the second time in just over two weeks when they played in the Mountain West Conference tournament quarterfinals.

For the second time, the Aggies came out the winner, beating the Bulldogs 87-75 at the Thomas & Mack Center on Thursday afternoon.

Both teams had a shot to take the lead in the final minute of regulation, but 3-point attempts from Fresno State’s Isaiah Hill and Utah State’s Darius Brown II missed, and the game went into an extra session, where the Aggies took control early before finishing the game at the free-throw line.

3 takeaways

Top performers: Great Osobor had an outstanding game, shooting 7 of 8 from the field while making 15 of 24 from the free-throw line, as it was clear Fresno State had no answers to deal with his physicality. Osobor finished with 29 points, 17 rebounds, four assists and two steals.

Brown also had a double-double with 17 points and 11 assists, while Javon Jackson added 16 points, five rebounds, three steals and two assists.

Jalen Weaver had 19 points and eight rebounds for Fresno State, while Hill added 17 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.

Key stretch: Utah State scored on its first two possessions of overtime, going ahead for good on a Jackson 3-pointer, followed by an Osobor jumper. That put the underdog Bulldogs in catch-up mode.

Key stats: Utah State shot 3 of 5 in overtime, including making its first two, while Fresno State missed its first three shots in the extra session before finishing 2 of 7.

Both teams dealt with their share of foul trouble, particularly Fresno State, and it led to Utah State making 26 of 36 free throws. The Bulldogs were more efficient, hitting 11 of 14, but attempted 22 fewer shots from the charity stripe.

What’s next?

The Aggies (27-5) will play San Diego State in the MWC semifinals on Friday (7:30 p.m. MDT, CBS Sports Network).

Utah State split two games with the Aztecs during the regular season.