LAS VEGAS – There was something about shooting on the south side of the lane at the Thomas & Mack Center.
You know that one, if you’ve been there. During the Mountain West Tournament, the south side is where – during normal years – the band plays and the Cox Pavilion’s long media tunnel opens into the 19,522-seat arena where UNLV men’s basketball is held. If you happen to be there at a game in Wyoming, you can often see the famous “Cowboy Ken” pacing in those chairs – tons and all.
It’s opposite the end where Sam Merrill made his greatest memory last year, a three-point shot to beat San Diego state and give Utah State its second straight Mountain West Tournament title. It was the last shot of his career.
Behind that basket is an empty arena, with seats removed to make room for the Mountain West Network studio set. On the other side – the south side – are a number of seats, empty this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and just a small tarpaulin covering the entrance to the tunnel.
That was the end where Utah State found its shooting form in the second half of Thursday’s quarterfinals.
Marco Anthony scored 10 of his 15 points in the second half, along with 13 rebounds and five assists, while the second-seeded Aggies withdrew from the seventh-seeded Runnin ‘Rebels, 74-53 in the quarter-finals of the Mountain West Tournament in the Thomas & Mack Center.
Neemias Queta had 18 points, 13 rebounds and three blocked shots for the Aggies (19-7) and Brock Miller added 8 points – all in the second half – for Utah State.
“I thought we started slow in the first half,” said Anthony, the former Virginia point guard who was named to Mountain West’s defensive squad this week. “The encounter in the second half was about going up a notch, and we did in the second half and it led to a win against a very talented team.”
Justin Bean had 10 points and five rebounds, and Rollie Worster added 14 points, six rebounds, and eight assists as he continues to return from injury for the Aggies. Like his teammates, Worster shot 2 out of 4 in the second half, distributing seven of those assists in the same arena where he delivered one rebound and an assist for his first collegiate triple-double.
Bryce Hamilton had 16 points, five rebounds and two assists to lead UNLV (12-15), and Edoardo Del Cadia added 10 points and five rebounds.
After firing only 32% of the field, the Aggies were largely restrained by the UNLV defense on their way to a 24-24 halftime score.
Then something happened after the break. Or more specifically, Anthony happened. Or Miller. Or one of the greatest shooters or assault weapons in the state of Utah.
@MarcoJAnthony GET IT‼ ️#AggiesAllTheWaypic.twitter.com/t1QawgNrSE
– USU Men’s Hoops (@USUBasketball) March 12, 2021
“Marco had a great game in every facet,” said Utah State coach Craig Smith. “That’s what he does. He had 15 points and 13 rebounds – six of those offensive – and five assists. He’s such a dynamic player, was named in the all-defensive team and he’s very proud of that. Great job. at the defensive end tonight, as were all of our team. It was a really balanced attack on both sides of the ball. We’re happy to win. It’s surviving and moving forward at this time of year, and we look forward to to play another game tomorrow, be it Colorado State or Fresno State. “
During the first half – the one Smith said was like “a root canal for both teams” – Utah State went more than five minutes late in the first half without scoring, until Anthony threw in a ball from Queta with 4:19 to go to rest. That drew the Aggies in 3, 21-18 during an awkward first half.
UNLV’s defense was good. It was arguably the best defense the rebels had played all year, and only the third time that the Aggies were below 0.8 points per possession.
Despite only 32% of the field being shot against that aggressive UNLV defense, Utah State finished 8-3 to tie the game at 24-24. Worster had 9 points and three rebounds in the first half, and Queta added 5 points, seven rebounds and two blocks before half time for the Aggies.
The rebels held the Aggies scoreless in the first half at 6:02 – scoring 6 runs in the run. UNLV shot 9 out of 30 out of the field before half time, including 1 of 9 from 3-point range.
During that run, Utah State also started working on the defense. Miller was back in the starting lineup despite struggling with a recurring back injury, so maybe it took him a half to settle down. his popular “GATA” mentality.
“Brock Miller hasn’t played in two weeks and hasn’t played live in about a month. It’s hard to be realistic as a coach, but I had to step back and say, ‘Here we are?’
“I give our boys a lot of credit. I thought we were able to correct ourselves and really settle down.”
When the teams switched baskets, Utah State opened with a point. The Aggies used a run of 12-6 to open the second half – all firing from the south side of the field – while Anthony rained two 3s and assisted on a bucket to Bean.
The Aggies had the Mountain West Network studio behind them, firing 55.9% off the field. They also surpassed UNLV 25-12 in the second half, assisting in 13 of 19 field goals with just two turnovers, keeping the rebels at only 34.5% of the shootout and 5 of 13 from a 3-point range.
After struggling in the first half, Utah State opened the second and made 10 of the first 17 shots after the break, including 4 of the 6 three-pointers. Behind Miller and Anthony, the Aggies gunmen had woken up.
“We just had to get things going,” Anthony said. “When we play connected, we play our best. I have the feeling that we started that in the second half. And it showed on the scoreboard.”
Rollie Worster fights to tie it up for halftime! pic.twitter.com/hDtsrmZGeU
– CBS Sports Network (@CBSSportsNet) March 12, 2021
Queta capped a run 14-5 with six consecutive free throws to give Utah State a 65-46 lead with 4:30 remaining, and Aggies pulled away for good. Miller finished only 3rd of 10 off the field, but was 3rd of 6 in the second half, including two of the Aggies’ four three-pointers.
The train rolled again.
As all teams beg in March, Utah State survived, moved up, and moved on to the next – a semi-final in Mountain West against Colorado State. A date with the Rams will likely constitute an elimination game of the NCAA tournament for one team, with both teams just sitting in the “Last Four In” bubble in the apparent bracket of ESPN’s Joe Lunardi.
“You have to execute in March,” Smith said. “You have to do it most years, but you really have to do it when you play in a team for the third time like we were tonight.”
Mountain West tournament
Friday semi-finals
No. 1 San Diego State vs. No. 5 Nevada, 7:30 p.m. MT
No. 2 State of Utah vs. No. 3 state of Colorado, 10 p.m. MT