Utah State falls short against BYU

It was close but BYU proved to be the better team last night. We offer two reports here.

USU, BYU basketball: Cougs stop Aggies in battle of unbeatens
Jeff Call
Deseret News
December 7, 2008

With just a couple of minutes remaining and BYU nursing a four-point lead Saturday against Utah State, Cougar star Lee Cummard picked up his fifth foul and spent the rest of the game watching helplessly from the bench.

But even without Cummard down the stretch, BYU managed to hold on for a 68-63 victory over the Aggies before a spirited crowd of 13,890 at Energy Solutions Arena.

"It was a great atmosphere. Our players enjoy playing in that atmosphere," said BYU coach Dave Rose. "For a game in the first of December, it felt much more like a late-January, early-February game."

In a showdown between in-state rivals with perfect records, it figured the game would be close and hard-fought, which it was. Leading by three points with 3.4 seconds left, Jonathan Tavernari stole an in-bounds pass intended for USU's Gary Wilkinson and Tavernari was fouled. He drained both free throws to seal the win...

Go here for the remainder.

and

Battle goes to Cougs
Shawn Harrison
Logan Herald Journal

SALT LAKE CITY — Sometimes a lot of hype before a game leads to a dud.

That certainly didn’t happen Saturday evening at Energy Solutions Arena. The Aggies and Cougars tangled in a dandy in front of 13,890 fans that screamed and hollered most of the night.

In the end, Brigham Young University was able to make enough free throws to exit the home of the Utah Jazz with a 68-63 win and remain unbeaten on the season. Utah State tasted defeat for the first time this year.

“The game was exactly as we thought it would be, a very hard-fought game,” Cougar head coach Dave Rose said. “It came down to a couple plays at the end of the game. ... It was a good win.”

BYU (8-0) made 8-of-12 free throws over the final 2:17 minutes of the game.

USU (5-1) trailed most of the game, but had its chances. The Aggies missed a 3-pointer, had two turnovers and missed the front end of a one-and-one down the stretch...

Go here for the remainder.