Monday, March 22, 2010
Utah Statesman The
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Aggie heartbreak in Spokane
MEN’S BASKETBALL loses to Texas A&M, 69-53, in the first round of the NCAA tournament, concluding the season with 27 wins and eight losses. PATRICK ODEN photo
By PATRICK ODEN editor-in-chief
SPOKANE, Wash. – The Aggie men’s basketball team concluded its postseason play Thursday afternoon in Spokane, Wash., falling to Texas A&M 69-53. It was an especially tough loss for Jared Quayle, hitting only 1-of-9 from beyond the 3-point arc, his collegiate career concluded in a showdown that the Aggies may easily have won had they been on their game, and one that Quayle will likely never forget. Coach Stew Morrill was quick to credit the defense of Texas A&M, citing their recent bout with No. 1-ranked Kansas, a game the Aggies from Texas led for three quarters of that game. “I had heard they were good defensively, but to see it first-hand is pretty impressive,” Morrill said. No question Coach Mark Turgeon’s Aggies were prepared for Utah State. Turgeon said they had reviewed USU’s film, studied their system and practiced every day of the past week preparing a zone offence that they hoped would challenge the defensive force of Utah State. Despite being the higher seed, and having won the first round of the NCAA tournament the four previous years in a row, A&M weren’t taking the boys in blue from Logan lightly. “I was a nervous wreck yesterday,” Turgeon said. While Texas’ showed solid execution in both their offense and defense, the Aggies had a lot of open looks at the basket but just couldn’t get them to fall. Post-game percentages could easily insinuate that Texas’ defense was too much for Utah State. While it did pose its share of frustration for USU, it wasn’t the sole reason for the Aggies being held to 38 percent from the field, 11 percent below their season average. Even Coach Turgeon agreed that “it was a combination of us and a combination of the fact it just wasn’t his (Quayle’s) day.”
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The bigger they are the harder they fall, and if anything were as did the Aggies of Texas. Coach Morrill called it the “zero to be assumed from Quayle’s demeanor after the game, USU’s knucklehead factor,” and credited the players and coaching staff star point guard and graduating senior felt the weight of the of Texas for not only playing well but for playing smart. loss resting squarely on his shoulders. The Aggies were called out after the WAC tournament loss “I had plenty of wide-open looks. They just weren’t falling to New Mexico State by several broadcasters for not having tonight,” Quayle said. the strength of schedule to justify the at large bid to the NCAA Though not Quayle’s day, he wasn’t alone in his struggles tournament despite their previous 17-game-streak and an RPI to hit the open shot. Nate Bendall had a of 31, claiming the Aggies hadn’t faced any difficult time with the bunnies and Pooh opponents of merit. “We think that we Williams, attempting at times to assert him With a 10 point win over BYU and have the ability to self into a scoring role, went 2-of-7. a narrow loss to St. Mary’s, which broke Tai Wesley, Bendall and Williams comthe Aggies 36-game home winning streak, come back and do bined for all four the Aggies’ foul shot the Aggies showed competence against two what we did this attempts, of which none were made for a teams who have already advanced to round year next year, goose egg in the free-throw column. By two of this year’s tournament. with four returning contrast the Aggies of Utah State sent Texas Coach Morrill said, “I get a bad rap A&M to the line seven times for 11 points sometimes for scheduling and I’m not as starters and a deep and were in foul trouble by midway through stubborn or inflexible as people think. We bench.” the first half. try to get as good of opponents as we can. – Nate Bendall, We’ve got a great home court.” If the cumulative efforts of Texas weren’t enough for Utah State, Texas A&M freshMorrill said he would gladly schedjunior center man Khris Middelton, a spotty shooter ule a “home and home,” if he could get Duke throughout the regular season, drove the to play USU. dagger deep into the heart of Utah State by hitting a career high This season is in the books with a heart-breaking loss in of five 3-pointers. Spokane but that doesn’t detract from the outstanding run the “We didn’t do a very good job in our zone of locating him in Aggies have had this year. With a 27-7 season where the average the corner and he got a lot of open looks,” Tyler Newbold said. margin of victory was 19.7 points, the Aggies look ahead to next It wasn’t the Utah State team Aggie fans have seen all year year where they plan to return to the Big Dance. that showed up in Spokane, and Texas A&M presented a chal “We think that we have the ability to come back and do what lenge in quality of coaching and team cohesion largely unknown we did this year next year, with four returning starters and a to Utah State in the regular season. Not to say Utah State didn’t deep bench,” Bendall said. have the potential to contribute to the list of upsets already seen Aggie fans believe so, too. in the first round of this year’s NCAA tournament, but it could – patrick.oden@aggiemail.usu.edu be easily argued that Utah State did as much to beat themselves
3/22/10 Gymnastics team back to full health and showing potential for upcoming postseason. Page 8
Intramurals will begin Monday and dozens of sports will be available to participate in. Page 5
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