What a strange night in the WAC

Did anyone sweep the trifecta? And by the margins as they were? We certainly didn't see a 14-point Wolf Pack win and there were some who didn't expect a Nevada victory. Idaho has generated extremely positive publicity so far in the WAC, New Mexico State not necessarily but it was the Aggies who prevailed. Plus, we would be forced to administer sodium pentathol if anyone pipes up and offers he or she forsaw Fresno State giving Utah State a battle to the end. Have at it.

Pack bucks Broncos
Chris Murray
Reno Gazette-Journal
January 16, 2009

Soh much for those sluggish starts.

The Nevada basketball team used quick starts in both halves to race past Boise State, 77-63, on Thursday night in front of 7,225 fans at Lawlor Events Center.

A pair of 14-2 runs -- one midway through the first half and the other to open the second half -- was enough to lift the Wolf Pack to the wire-to-wire victory.

The quick starts came after the Wolf Pack fell into deep halftime holes in its previous two games, which the team was able to rally out of both times.

Nevada point guard Armon Johnson, who scored a game-high 25 points, said bursting out of the gates was one of the team's main objectives...

Go here for the remainder.

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Here's Chris Murray with a lengthy list of quotes and game notes.

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Here's Nick Jezierny with his take:

Slow starts doom Boise State men as win streak ends
Boise State falls out of first place in the WAC.
Nick Jezierny
Idaho Statesman
1/16/09

RENO - The Boise State winning streak is history, and the Broncos can thank sluggish starts in each half of Thursday night's WAC men's basketball game at Nevada.

Boise State dropped a 77-63 decision to the Wolf Pack in front of 7,225 fans at the Lawlor Events Center.

The loss snapped a six-game winning streak by the Broncos (12-4 overall, 3-1 WAC) and knocked them out of first place in the conference standings...

Go here for the remainder.

Finally, Joe Santoro of The Nevada Appeal has this game article.

New Mexico State took down Idaho in Las Cruces.

The Bleed Crimson folks -- ground central for everything related to NMSU athletics -- have the story on the Aggie win over the Vandals, plus a Reggie sighting!!! The latter should certainly provide some red meat for those intent on silly speculation.

Aggies squeak by Idaho in WAC win
Jason Groves
Las Cruces Sun-News
1/16/2009

LAS CRUCES — Idaho is going to pick up some road wins in the Western Athletic Conference this year.

Just not in Las Cruces.

New Mexico State outrebounded Idaho 33-27 on Thursday at the Pan American Center, none bigger than Jahmar Young's with one second left to preserve a 74-71 Aggies victory and snap a three-game home losing streak.

"Being down five late in the game I thought was an opportunity to grow up tonight," Aggies head coach Marvin Menzies said. "That was a tell-tale statement as a team."

The Aggies improved to 9-9 overall and 3-2 in the WAC, improving to 9-0 against the Vandals in Las Cruces...

Go here for the remainder.

Felix Chavez of the Las Cruces Sun-News offers his take on last night's game.

Fresno State certainly put a legitimate scare into Utah State -- in Logan -- but fell just short.

Bulldogs men fall short to Aggies
Seay's late burst almost enough vs. Utah State.
Daniel Lyght
The Fresno Bee
January 15, 2009

Utah State's Gary Wilkinson was the conference preseason Player of the Year. But Thursday night, Fresno State's Sylvester Seay played like it.

The junior forward poured 32 points on the Aggies' heads in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, including eight straight points for the Bulldogs with less than five minutes to play. The 8,637 fans in attendance had reason to fear the Aggies' 26-game home winning streak could be snapped as Seay played his most aggressive game of the season.

"You're going to have problems [guarding] me before I have problems with you," Seay said. "Nobody could guard me. It's not about somebody guarding me, it's about making my shots. If I make my shots I can do that every game. And as far as [Wilkinson] guarding me, no, he couldn't."

Seay's career game came on the same night Fresno State played its best game of the season, but it still ended in disappointment, a 65-61 loss in Logan, Utah, to the Western Athletic Conference's hottest team...

Go here for the remainder.

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Aggies survive
Shawn Harrison
Herald Journal
January 16, 2009

Utah State dodged a bullet Thursday night at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.

Fresno State didn’t play like 15-point underdogs and gave the Aggies all they could handle in front of 8,637 fans. In the end, USU made just enough plays to notch its 11th straight victory of the season, 65-61, and remain perfect in Western Athletic Conference action...

Go here for the remainder.

Utah State basketball: Aggies do just enough to get it done, beat Bulldogs
Jared Eborn
Deseret News
January 16, 2009

LOGAN — The way Utah State's post players showed up, Utah State probably had no business beating Fresno State.

But, as has been the case for several games now, the Aggies did just enough to pick up another win — this time a 65-61 decision over the Bulldogs that was much closer than anyone in Logan was comfortable with.

"We've showed a little character when the game is on the line," USU coach Stew Morrill said. "We did just enough to win."

The Aggies trailed throughout the first half as Fresno State hounded Utah State's post players and denied them any chance to establish an inside presence. The "monster" defense, Morrill said, disrupted USU's gameplan and nearly cost them the game.

"We responded," Morrill said, "by taking a lot of bad shots against their pressure..." Go here for the remainder.