Utah State basketball: Pane flirts with triple-double in Aggies' victory

Logan • As a scorer, Brockeith Pane has proven to be one of the best point guards in the Western Athletic Conference. And he's done it in a short amount of time.

Still, the Utah State coaching staff has spent a considerable amount of time worrying about Pane's alarming lack of assists, and his high propensity to turn the ball over.

Perhaps that's why Thursday's 74-57 win over Louisiana Tech at the Spectrum may have been Pane's best performance yet. To top it off, Pane had just two turnovers.

No, he didn't drop 20 plus. But he racked up a career-high nine assists. He pulled down seven rebounds and he still scored 11 points, flirting with USU's first triple-double since 1988.

"This is what I've wanted to be," Pane said. "I've wanted to be a stat sheet stuffer, and I've wanted to affect the game in a lot of ways."

With Pane, Utah State is no longer the strict half-court team it's been in the past. Several times, especially in the first half, he pushed the ball in transition and either scored or found a teammate for an easy shot.

He's also become much more comfortable with the elaborate number of plays the Aggies have in their holster. On Thursday, he controlled the game in his 30 minutes of action. Always a tough critic, USU coach Stew Morrill simply mouthed the words "good job" when Pane went to the bench for a second-half rest.

With the way Pane ran the offense, five Utah State players scored at least 10 points, with Tai Wesley leading the way with 14.