In a surprising turn of events for college basketball, the Utah State Aggies succumbed to their first Mountain West defeat of the season, falling 84-74 to Grand Canyon University. The contest, which played out Saturday, saw the Aggies trying, and ultimately failing, to maintain their winning streak and a spotless conference record. As per a report by Cache Valley Daily, Utah State's coach Jerrod Calhoun voiced his dissatisfaction with the team's defense, stating, "I thought our defense really failed us."
The Aggies had entered the game with impressive stats, flaunting a 15-1 record and ranked 23rd in the AP Top 25 Poll. However, they struggled to keep pace with a determined Grand Canyon lineup. Despite a second-half surge where Utah State made nine of its first 14 shots, the effort was not enough to stave off defeat. Grand Canyon managed to quickly answer each attempted comeback from the Aggies, according to ABC4. Even Mason Falslev, who scored 25 points and 12 rebounds for his first double-double of the season, couldn't maintain his scoring touch throughout the entire game.
Attributing to the Aggies' downfall, Grand Canyon's defense proved formidable, particularly their towering 7-foot-2 center Dennis Evans, who contributed six blocks. As reported by Cache Valley Daily, Coach Calhoun acknowledged Grand Canyon's size, saying, "They spent a lot of money on this roster, so their size is real."
Adding insult to injury was the high number of personal fouls called against Utah State, tallying up to a season-high 27. The volume of fouls led to Grand Canyon capitalizing on free throws, which further solidified their lead. Despite signs of resilience, as noted by KSL Sports, with Utah State narrowing the margin towards the end of the game, Grand Canyon pulled away decisively to clinch an 84-74 victory. Utah State now has to quickly regroup as they host UNLV in an upcoming Tuesday night game.
