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Logan • In what was supposed to be its best home test since BYU and Denver, Utah State turned it into a laugher.
Against a Kent State team that entered Thursday night with eight wins, two losses by a total of five points and a rousing road victory at West Virginia, the Aggies made them look like the sweetest of cupcakes.
USU's 81-62 win over Kent State, on the final night of the Gossner Tournament, at the Spectrum, wasn't nearly that close. For most of the second half, the Aggies flirted with a 30-point lead. And when the game was over, the Kent State locker room served as a haven for overturned trash cans and curse words that spilled into the media hallway for everyone to hear.
"I'll say this: I'm never coming back here, that's for sure," Golden Flashes head coach Rob Senderhoff said. "This will be my last time at the Utah State tournament. We're just not where we need to be as a team right now. Utah State is very, very good. We have to go home, regroup and figure out how we can get better."
The same can't be said about the Aggies. An average team a month ago, Utah State looked dangerous this week. Thursday night served as the crescendo, as the Aggies did whatever they wanted offensively. Junior forward Kyisean Reed scored a career-high 27 points on 12-13 shooting. Three of those were dunks. Many more were layups.
Sophomore guard Preston Medlin, the tournament MVP, scored 20, to go with five rebounds and three assists. Morgan Grim, the former Riverton High star, scored 14 points and added 14 rebounds, his second consecutive double-double. Senior point guard Brockeith Pane scored eight points and had eight assists and five rebounds.
The three-game week served as a startling contrast to the Utah State team that so vividly struggled to score in the not-too-distant past. Then, it seemed as if a Western Athletic Conference title was nothing but a dream. Now, the Aggies have to be considered favorites for the championship, along with New Mexico State, Nevada and Hawaii.
"We know who we are right now," Reed said. "I think it was just a matter of guys getting comfortable and guys figuring out roles. We're cohesive right now, and I think it shows on the court."
The Aggies led by as much as 29 points with 10 minutes remaining. If Kent State went man-to-man, Grim went to work in the paint. If the Golden Flashes went zone, Medlin shot them out of it. Whatever defense they played, Reed flew around and wreaked havoc.
USU is now on a season-long four-game win streak. The Aggies have eight wins and are heading into next week's battle with nationally ranked Mississippi State with momentum that seemed all but impossible a short time ago.
"The tournament as a whole was encouraging," Aggies head coach Stew Morrill said. "We have a few days off, and now we're back and we have a big challenge ahead of us."
Twitter: @tonyaggieville —
Highlights
R Utah State beats Kent State to win its fourth consecutive game.
• The Aggies remain unbeaten all-time in the Gossner Tournament.
• Preston Medlin, with 20 points, five rebounds and three assists, is named tournament MVP.