This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2010, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Hey everyone, back from vacation, refreshed and ready to do my thing.
As for tonight, it was a dominant second half performance for Utah State. The Aggies really killed Utah Valley in the paint, with Tai Wesley, Nate Bendall and Brady Jardine doing most of the damage. Morgan Grim played well too as the fifth post. His putback at the end of the first half was big.
USU struggled for most of the first half, going a six minute period without registering a single point. The Aggies also couldn't contain Isiah Williams in the first half, but did a much better job in the second 20 minutes.
"I thought this was our best road second half of the season," Utah State head coach Stew Morrill said. "I was very pleased with the way we played in the second half."
Wesley finished with a double-double, 14 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. Nate Bendall looks almost fully in shape, he scored 12 points and grabbed eight rebounds. More importantly, he made explosive moves in the paint and on the block.
It was an impressive win because Utah Valley is much better than it has been. The Wolverines have some nice pieces in Williams, Holton Hunsaker and Ben Aird. And they gave the Aggies all they wanted in the first half, leading a good chunk of the way.
But USU was too balanced ultimately, and the Aggies strength in the post proved to be a major difference.
Tony Jones