Last night in the WAC

It's already been posted but we still have to lead with the Boise win over the Aggies. We have two words for Cal State Bakersfield (coming in to Logan to play USU next): "watch out."

Big win for Boise State men
The Broncos turn to defense to stop the Aggies and their national-best 19-game winning streak.
Nick Jezierny
Idaho Statesman
2/15/09

It wasn't so much that the Boise State men's basketball team won Saturday night, it was how the Broncos knocked off No. 21 Utah State 66-56 at Taco Bell Arena.

The offensive-minded Broncos snapped the Aggies' 19-game winning streak - which was the longest in the country - with defense. They also handed Utah State (24-2 overall, 12-1 WAC) its first conference loss and prevented the Aggies from clinching an outright regular-season WAC title.

"We beat a ranked team at home - it can't get much bigger than that," said Boise State guard Anthony Thomas, who scored 18 points and sparked his team with four 3-pointers.

A season-high crowd of 7,587 - more than double the average attendance this season - watched Boise State (17-7 overall, 7-4 WAC) hold Utah State to a season-low 36.5 percent from the field and force 19 turnovers, the Aggies' second most this season. Utah State was leading the country in shooting at 50.6 percent...

Go here for the remainder.

plus

Aggies bucked in Boise
Utah State's lengthy win streak comes to an end with WAC loss
Jared Eborn
Deseret News
February 15, 2009

BOISE — There was no love to be found in Taco Bell Arena for No. 21 Utah State as Boise State upset the Aggies, 66-56 and snapped a 19-game win streak, preventing USU from winning an outright Western Athletic Conference championship.

Utah State had flirted with disaster several times in recent weeks but repeatedly found a way to win.

Aggie coach Stew Morrill said his team usually finds a way to scratch and claw its way past challenges.

"Tonight," Morrill said, "we got outscratched and outclawed."

USU (24-2, 12-1 WAC) played from behind through the entire second half and admitted afterword it was difficult to play that way.

"It was a different feeling," USU forward Tai Wesley said. "I remember feeling that in the court and thinking 'This is not where we usually are.' It's been unfamiliar territory for us this season..."

Go here for the remainder.

and

Aggies fail to lock up outright WAC title
Shawn Harrison
Herald Journal
February 15, 2009

BOISE, Idaho — All streaks eventually come to an end.

The Aggies would like to have extended theirs at least one more game, but Boise State would have none of that. The Broncos handed No. 21 Utah State (17th in USA Today/ESPN poll) its first loss in more than two months, 66-56 on Saturday night in front of a season-high 7,587 fans at Taco Bell Arena.

“We got totally outplayed,” USU head coach Stew Morrill said. “Boise did a great job. ... We ran into a buzz saw. They (Broncos) played great. They were fresh and eager and ready to go and definitely deserved to win.”

The defeat ended a 19-game run by the Aggies, which was the longest in the nation this season. Had USU won, it would have locked up the Western Athletic Conference regular season title. Now that will have to wait for more than a week as the Aggies (24-2, 12-1 WAC) step out of conference play for two games next week...

Go here for the remainder.

Shawn Harrison also has another article here.

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Nevada came from behind at the end and took down Hawaii in a slogfest:

Nevada stuns UH
The Wolf Pack score the game's final eight points to win 47-46
Brian McInnis
Honolulu Star-Bulletin
Feb 15, 2009

Heartbreak was in the cards for Hawaii on Valentine's Day.

Nevada guard Armon Johnson hit a game-winning, twisting layup with 7 seconds left to send the Wolf Pack to a 47-46 victory over the Rainbow Warriors before a crowd of 4,475 last night at the Stan Sheriff Center.

UH was out of timeouts, forcing Hiram Thompson to drive upcourt to the left. He came up short on an off-balance floater with 2 seconds left, and players battled for the loose ball as the horn sounded. Wolf Pack players celebrated on the court as dejected Hawaii players slumped back to the bench...

Go here for the remainder.

plus

Nevada rally lands UH in broken-hearts club
Dayton Morinaga
Honolulu Advertiser

Hearts can be broken on Valentine's Day, too.

The University of Hawai'i men's basketball team found that out last night in a 47-46 loss to Nevada.

Armon Johnson scored on a spinning drive in the lane with 7.6 seconds remaining to cap a stunning late-game rally by the Wolf Pack.

The Rainbow Warriors had a 46-39 lead with 2:46 remaining, but were outscored 8-0 to close the game...

Go here for the remainder.

and

From the Wolf Pack perspective:

Johnson carries Wolf Pack to win over Hawaii
Chris Murray
Reno Gazette-Journal
February 15, 2009

With the Nevada-Hawaii basketball game on the line, it was only appropriate that the ball rested in the hands of Armon Johnson.

Until that point, Johnson had scored a game-high 23 points and was the lone offensive bright spot in a game dominated by the defenses.

And with his team down 46-45 and time melting off the clock, Johnson went to work. The sophomore point guard cut into the lane and hit a 10-foot spinning jumper with 7.6 seconds remaining that proved to be the game-winner in the Wolf Pack’s 47-46 victory on Saturday night at the Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu...

Go here for the remainder.

And more from Chris Murray:

An inside, by-the-numbers look at Pack's win at Hawaii
Chris Murray
Reno Gazette-Journal
2/14/2009

Here are some quick numbers from Nevada's win over Hawaii on Saturday, most of which are ugly.

* 47 - The number of points Nevada scored in the victory. It's the fewest points Nevada has scored in a win since 1976 when the Wolf Pack topped St. Mary's, 19-17, in a famed "stall game."
* 10 - The numbers of Pack points scored by people not named Johnson or Babbitt. Brandon Fields was the team's third-leading scorer with four points. Non-Johnson and Babbitt players went 2-for-16.
* 35.6 - The percent Nevada shot from the field, its lowest in a win since the first game of the season.
* 4/18 - The Wolf Pack had four assists to 18 turnovers.
* 1 - The number of combined 3-pointers made by both teams (Nevada was 1-of-7; Hawaii was 0-of-4).
* 58 - The percent Hawaii shot from the free-throw line (the Bows were 15-of-24).
* 7:58 - The amount of time Nevada went without a point late in the second half before scoring the final eight points of the game.
* 35-30 - The number of Hawaii rebounds to Nevada rebounds as the Wolf Pack was out-boarded for the first time in 14 games.
* 34 - The percent Hawaii shot from the field.

However, the most important number of all is seven. That's the number of consecutive wins the Pack now has over Hawaii. And I guess a win is a win. But do you leave this game encouraged or discouraged if you are a Wolf Pack fan?

Go here for the remainder.

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Here's Travis Mason-Bushman of Vandal Nation with his game report of Idaho's victory over San Jose State:

Hopson’s huge half leads Vandals over Spartans, 74-66

A 17-point second-half explosion from Mac Hopson secured a much-needed Western Athletic Conference victory for the Idaho Vandals tonight in the Cowan Spectrum, as they topped the San Jose State Spartans, 74-66...

Go here for the remainder.

Travis also live-blogged the game -- go here for that.

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Jason Groves has the scoop on New Mexico State's overtime victory over Fresno State:

Aggies rally past Fresno State in OT
Jason Groves
Las Cruces Sun-News
2/15/2009

LAS CRUCES — Jahmar Young's favorite basketball player is Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant.

Bryant is known as the best player in the world in a game's final moments, and for that reason, Young emulated Bryant on Saturday in a 79-71 New Mexico State University overtime win over Fresno State.

Young scored 10 of the Aggies' 13 points in overtime and assisted on a game-clinching triple from Gordo Castillo to give the Aggies their second consecutive Western Athletic Conference win to improve to 13-12 and 7-5 in the WAC.

"I know I'm a good closer and I didn't show a good closing against Nevada (a 62-60 NMSU victory last weekend) but I had to redeem myself," said Young, who finished with 23 points and a career-high nine rebounds. "I just had to stay even keel and when you see them moving back on their heels, you have to take advantage..."

Go here for the remainder.

Jeff Davis offer a look from the San Joaquin perspective:

Fresno State men fall in overtime at New Mexico State
Jeff Davis
The Fresno Bee
February 14, 2009

Once Fresno State's legs gave out, so did its luck against New Mexico State on Saturday night at the Pan American Center.

The Bulldogs, playing undermanned in their third game in six days, let a late seven-point lead slip away to New Mexico State and lost 79-71 in overtime in Las Cruces, N.M.

The last-place Bulldogs (10-16) fell to 2-9 in the Western Athletic Conference. New Mexico State (13-12) improved to 7-5 with the sweep of the season series.

Sylvester Seay led Fresno State with 25 points, Mychal Ladd had 22 with 12 rebounds and Paul George scored 11...

Go here for the remainder.