RENO, Nevada- The Utah State Aggies spent their New Year's Eve in the Biggest Little City in the World, battling the Nevada Wolf Pack in their final game of 2024.
The Aggies' trip to Reno is their third road game in a stretch of difficult matchups. Since leaving Logan a few days before Christmas, Utah State has taken down Saint Mary's in Moraga and San Diego State in San Diego, and had Nevada in their sights, trying to come home from their toughest road trip of the year undefeated.
Utah State got a kickstart on their first possession with a three-pointer from Isaac Johnson who re-entered the starting lineup.
At the 11:28 mark, Utah State had ballooned their lead to eight points, however, Nevada closed the first half on a 19-6 run. Fueled by the fans in the packed Lawlor Events Center, the Wolf Pack ended up taking the lead and entered the locker room with a 33-28 advantage.
Nick Davidson led the way for Nevada in the first frame with seven points and six rebounds.
A motivated Utah State looked to close the slight gap that the Wolf Pack had opened, and it only took them four minutes to do so. The game was once again tied at the 15:44 mark, and then the Aggies went on to outscore Nevada 20-10 through the first nine minutes of the half, owning a seven-point lead at the midway point.
The momentum shift for Utah State that boosted them to their lead came when Mason Falslev jumped on a loose ball for one of his five steals. Then, from his knees, he threw the ball up-court to a sprinting Tucker Anderson who put away the and-one bucket, tying the game on the ensuing free throw.
Of course, Nevada was not going away easy. Utah State was able to maintain their eight-point advantage until the 4:37 mark, but then the Wolf Pack made their push. Their intensity in the closing minutes led to a three-pointer from Xavier Dusell that cut the Aggie lead to two points, but Ian Martinez answered on the other end, knocking down a long-range bucket of his own. It would end up being his only make from beyond the arc all night, but he saved it for the biggest moment.
The Aggies knocked down their free throws down the stretch and were able to close out 2024 with their third straight Quadrant 1 road win to improve to 13-1 as they continue to show that they are able to win in a myriad of different ways.
Mason Falslev continued his excellent form after being awarded his fourth Mountain West Player of the Week award of the young season. He stuffed the stat sheet against the Wolf Pack with 14 points on 60% shooting, along with six rebounds, five assists, and five steals, all while leading the Aggies in minutes with 38.
Tucker Anderson put together his second strong performance in a row with 16 points off the bench.
The Utah State Aggies are now 13-1 overall and 3-0 in Mountain West play, taking down two teams who were voted to finish in the top four in the Mountain West in San Diego State and Nevada, both on the road.
The Aggies sit with New Mexico and Boise State, who have also started 3-0 in conference play, at the top of the standings.
Utah State is now undefeated away from home with three wins on neutral courts and three wins in true road games, however, the Aggies will certainly be thrilled to return home to take on the Fresno State Bulldogs at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum on January 4, at 7:00 p.m. MT,