Courtesy of Utah State Athletics

LOGAN, Utah — Utah State men’s basketball upset No. 13/14 Colorado State 77-72 with stifling defense and a stellar second half offensively inside the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum Saturday night. It was Utah State’s first win over a top-25 opponent since 2020 and its first win over a ranked opponent at home since 2019.

Coming into the matchup, the Rams (13-2, 1-1 Mountain West) led the nation in shooting percentage, averaging 53.0 percent from the field through 14 games. Utah State (14-1, 2-0 MW) held CSU 6.2 percent (44.8 percent) below its season average, which was especially apparent in the first half when the Rams shot just 40.0 percent. USU held Colorado State to its third-lowest point total of the season (72 points).

Meanwhile, the Aggies shot 63.0 percent (17-of-27) in the second half with redshirt freshman guard Mason Falslev scoring 12 points and junior wing Great Osobor logging 10 in the final 20 minutes.

To start the contest, both sides traded baskets and 3-pointers before Colorado State took its first lead of the game off a 7-0 run, 12-7. Osobor hit four-straight free throws to cut the CSU edge to one, but the Rams pulled away with a 9-0 run leading to a 21-11 Colorado State advantage midway through the half.

Utah State pulled back in it with a 6-0 spurt, cutting the Ram lead to 21-17 with just under eight minutes before halftime. CSU expanded its lead back to nine points, 30-21, outscoring the Aggies by three over four minutes. USU kept it close before the halftime buzzer, with a 7-0 run before the break to go into the locker down 32-28.

It was a back-and-forth affair in the second half as no team led by more than four points through the first 12 minutes. With seven and a half minutes remaining, sophomore guard Javon Jackson hit two free throws to kick start a 9-0 Aggie run. USU built a 65-57 lead with just under four minutes remaining behind a 3-pointer from redshirt sophomore center Isaac Johnson and layups from Osobor and junior guard Josh Uduje.

After three points from the Rams, Utah State captured its largest lead of the game 69-60 off a fast-break layup from Falslev and free throws from Osobor. The Aggies fended off eight points in one minute from Ram graduate guard Isaiah Stevens, to secure the 77-72 victory with a pair of layups from Uduje and Falslev and four free throws by graduate guard Darius Brown II.

Utah State was led offensively by Osobor who totaled 20 points, 14 rebounds and three assists in his seventh double-double of the season. Falslev tallied 18 points, while Brown, Uduje and senior guard Ian Martinez each added nine.

Overall, the Aggies shot 44.1 percent (26-of-59) from the field, 27.8 percent (5-of-18) from distance and 87.0 percent (20-of-23) at the charity stripe.

Stevens led the Rams with 21 points, four rebounds and eight assists. Senior guard Nique Clifford added 18 points and graduate forward Patrick Cartier scored 15 before both fouled out. CSU shot 44.8 percent (30-of-67) from the field, 33.3 percent (8-of-24) from downtown and 36.4 percent (4-of-11) at the free-throw line.

The Aggies continue their homestand with Wyoming on Tuesday, Jan. 9, inside the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.