Courtesy of Utah State Athletics
LOGAN, Utah – In front of a sold-out crowd at Dee Glen Smith Spectrum on Wednesday night, No. 23 Utah State men’s basketball remained perfect in conference play as a strong defensive effort propelled the Aggies to a 71-62 victory over Nevada to improve to 15-1 on the season.
Utah State held its visitors to a season-low 62 points, as Nevada was limited to just 34 percent shooting while a suffocating defensive effort by the Aggies led to nine steals and 14 Wolf Pack turnovers.
Junior guard Mason Falslev set the tone from the start en route to a season-best scoring performance, as he scored the first seven points of the night for the Aggies. Falslev, who played 39 minutes, went on to score 26 points, two shy of a career high, on an efficient 9-of-14 night from the floor with 2-of-4 shooting from deep and a perfect 6-of-6 showing at the charity stripe.
After the strong start by USU, Nevada pushed back to even things up before the final 12 minutes of the half saw eight lead changes. While Utah State was limited to just 29 points in the half, the Aggie defense held the Wolf Pack to 23 points on 27 percent shooting.
Utah State’s 29-23 halftime lead quickly disappeared after a quick 11-0 run by Nevada flipped an eight-point Aggie advantage into a three-point deficit. Following two more lead changes, the Aggies rattled off a run of their own, scoring 10-straight points which eventually turned into a 14-2 run to put USU back firmly in control.
By the five-minute mark, the Utah State lead reached double-figures once again. The Aggies connected on eight of their final 12 shots of the night from the field, then secured the game at the free throw line, going 4-for-4 at the stripe in the final minutes.
In total, the game featured 12 lead changes and seven ties, though USU was in front for 31:12 while the Wolf Pack led for just 5:32.
Along with his 26-point performance, Falslev rounded out his statline with five rebounds, three assists and two steals while committing just a single turnover. Senior guard MJ Collins Jr. was the only other Aggie to reach double-figures in the scoring column, going for 14 points, two rebounds and an assist.
Of USU’s 22 made shots, 16 were assisted on, led by a five-assist performance for graduate guard Drake Allen, who also totaled three points, five rebounds, three steals and two blocks.
In total, Utah State shot 44.9 percent (22-of-49) from the floor, 33.3 percent (7-of-21) from 3-point range and 83.3 percent (20-of-24) at the charity stripe. Nevada shot 34.4 percent (21-of-61) from the field, 43.8 percent (7-of-16) from behind the arc and 76.5 percent (13-of-17) at the free throw line.
UP NEXT
Utah State will head back on the road this weekend as it travels to Phoenix, Arizona, to take on Grand Canyon on Saturday, Jan. 17. Tip-off is slated for 12:30 p.m. (MT), and will be broadcast on FS1.
TICKETS
Season tickets for the 2025-26 men’s basketball season have sold out. Fans can purchase single game tickets for available remaining games here. A waitlist for 2026-27 season tickets is now available here.
FOLLOW
For more information on Utah State’s men’s basketball program, follow the Aggies on Facebook at usumensbasketball, on Twitter at @usubasketball and on Instagram at @usubasketball. Fans can also watch USU men’s basketball highlights by visiting youtube.com/utahstateathletics.
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