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Show Monday, Nov. 23, 2009 StatesmanSports Message from a graduating senior: Cherish the Spectrum herish the cabin, as George Costanza's father-in-law once said, except replace cabin with Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. I spent Saturday night at the EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City watching the Jazz beat Detroit in overtime and that's what I came away with. Let me say right up front that I love NBA basketball. I'm not one of the critics who says it's a game for thugs governed by corrupt officials. The athleticism of NBA players is astounding and well worth whatever the Miller family is charging these days. But still, there is the feeling in the air that the teams are sleepwalking out there. There are, after all, 82 games. Maybe it's because everything an NBA player does looks effortless. But I didn't see anything at the game Saturday to match the emotional intensity of an Aggie game. There's just something about watching a kid with negligible (OK, barely existent) athletic gifts like former Aggie Chris Huber dig in for dear life on defense, in front of a crowd that lives and dies with every possession. Nobody in the NBA Ds up until March, friends ("OMG I'm at the Jazz game!") and notice that someone just made a basket. The songs of Chris Brown played over the PA sub for real crowd noise at the ESA, because when I think of quality family entertainment, I think of Chris Brown. When a single fan at the top of the lower bowl yelled "You still suck!" at Charlie Villanueva after he hit a three, it just didn't carry the same weight as when the Aggie student section, 5,000 strong, chants it in unison for a minute and a half. The Spectrum, people. It's unmatched. Cherish it. C e • Page 13 not really. That being said, Deron Williams could probably beat the Aggies to 21 playing one-on-five. Still. Cherish the Spectrum. It's a little embarrassing how much time they spend trying to coax the The Aggies (2-1) dropped their first game of the season last night against the University of San Francisco Dons, 57-48. The Ags shot 51.9 percent from the field and a blistering 80 percent from the 3point line in the first half but couldn't keep up the pace in the second half. Aggie junior guard Alice Coddington and senior center Lydia Whitehead had 10 points each in the first half. Freshman guard Mel Klohk led the Dons in the first half with seven points off the bench. Neither team led by more Utah t at e s in an www.a-bay-usu.com 2477• easy to use, easy to find, easy on the wallet. Ready for a Baby? You may be eligible for $$cash upon delivery! Benefits pay able in addition to other insurance. Denise Abbott 435-757-7834 denise_abbott@us.aflac.com ALTIUS senior majoring in print journalism. Comments can be sent to him at graham. terry@ aggiemail. usu. edu . Affordable Health Care Coverage for Individuals Call Corrie L. Bingham Insurance Agency, Inc. ESA crowd into being loud, and how little the fans know about how to be loud. Aggie fans are loud when it counts; when the defense needs a stop and during timeouts. Jazz fans are loud when they stop texting their 435.713.4500 OR email chucklesins@aol.com www.altiushealthplans.com than six until Coddington scored five straight points to put the Ags up by 11 points with 5:14 remaining in the half The Ags dominated USF down low, scoring 14 points in the paint with most of those points coming from Whitehead. The Dons, how- line. "You gotta give San Francisco credit. They played more aggressive basketball in the second half," Aggie head coach Raegan Pebley said. "We didn't execute well, and we weren't playing with purpose in the second half" ever, won the rebound battle in the first half 18-12. Both teams were scoreless in the first three minutes of the second half, and the Aggie offense continued to spiral downward. The Aggies only hit 17.2 percent of their shots from the field and went 0-of-6 from the 3-point line. The Dons kicked into gear in the second half, hitting 43.5 percent of their shots from the field and 66.7 percent from the 3-point Trips to the free-throw line were somewhat lopsided and the Dons took advantage, hitting 18-of-20. The Ags didn't have too many free-throw attempts and struggled, converting the opportunities they had going 6-of-9 for the game. Utah State did not go to the foul line once in the first half Dons' freshman guard Mel Klohk scored 12 points off the bench and tied junior forward Donnisha Taylor for the team Road: Aggies blow lead in Boston continuedfrom page 12 of games," Morrill said. "This team's got to make their way, and figure out how to make plays when the game's on the line." The Aggies will have a short time to figure things out as they play Idaho State on Tuesday. They will, however, finally return to the Spectrum where they haven't lost a game in two years, and currently hold the nation's secondlongest home winning streak. We could be 3-0, but we could be 0-3. We should probably be 2-1, we think that we could have won one of these last two games where we had the chance too, but that's the way it is," Morrill said. — Lolsen@aggiemaiLusu.edu Boise: Broncos run over Aggies continuedfrom page 11 —one of the biggest crowds of the season at Romney Stadium —the Aggies showed up ready to play on Senior Night. After giving up the early touchdown pass to Moore, USU quickly drove down the field and answered with a 22-yard run by Smith. After forcing the Broncos to punt on their next possession, the Aggie offense got moving again. USU had a chance to take a lead on the Broncos early in the second quarter but a missed 42-yard field goal by Chris Ulinski — his first of the season at home — ended that drive. On the Broncos ensuing possession, Martin scored his first touchdown of the evening on a 17-yard run. However, the Aggies would answer again when Turbin broke through the line for a 24-yard run with s The Lady Ags blow lead against Dons By TYLER HUSKINSON staff writer Crash? IL)1 G. Christopher Terry is a UTAH JAZZ POINT GUARD Deron Williams looks to dish the ball as Detroit Piston Ben Wallace defends. PATRICK ODEN photo • A Need Place to 6:28 remaining in the second quarter. That's when things quickly deteriorated for the Aggies. Martin scored his second TD on a two-yard plunge with 4:47 remaining in the second quarter. Forty-three seconds later, his backfield mate Jeremy Avery scored on nine-yard plunge after the botched Aggie handoff gave the Broncos the ball inside the USU 10-yard line. On its next possession, the Aggie offense sputtered and was forced to punt, and Martin scored again for the Broncos with five seconds remaining in the half. As a team, the Aggies were able to gain 363 yards of total offense and put up 21 points on the conference's best defense. After its good start though, the Aggie defense was unable to contain the potent Bronco offense as it gave up 572 yards of total offense. "I thought our kids fought extremely hard the whole game. That is one thing I will say about this football team forever. There is no quit in them," Andersen said. "They want to be good and they come back. They will prepare again next week for the Idaho game., I can guarantee that. They will play hard again together one more time." With the loss, the Aggies have one more chance to add to their win total from last year as they travel to Moscow, Idaho, to take on the Vandals. Idaho is 7-4 on the year but has lost three of its last four, including a 63-25 blowout loss to the Broncos in the Vandals last game. —t.olsen@aggiemail.usu.edu high point total. The Don bench outscored the Aggie bench 18-9. "I thought we did a pretty good job defensively," Pebley said. "It was our offense that lost the game." Aggie junior forward Amber White, who had been averaging 17 points per game, was in foul trouble most of the game and only managed four points on the night. "(Amber) wasn't able to get in the flow offensively or defensively because of the foul trouble," Pebley said. Lydia Whitehead finished the night with a double-double and led the team scoring 16 points and pulled down 12 rebounds. She fought till the end but it wasn't enough. "She battled offensively," Pebley said. The Aggies return home to play the Montana Western Bulldogs (4-5) from the NAIA Conference. The Bulldogs are averaging 38.7 percent from the field and 39.4 percent from the 3-point line. Bulldog sophomore Nicole Tams leads the team in scoring averaging 11.4 points per game. The Bulldogs do seem to have an issue with ball control as they average 25 turnovers per game. The Aggies are averaging three steals and five blocks per game. "We need to continue to improve and get better," Pebley said. Tip-off against the Bulldogs is set for Saturday, Nov. 28, at 5 p.m. in the Spectrum. — ty.d.hus@aggiemaiLusu.edu Commute FARE FREE! That's How We Roll. IA I M.■ www.cvtdbus.org •••■•••• • Ewe:Com Apple Specialist IowMac prices. fast Mac service. get what you 1% really want this year. . 24" iMac $1,399 •2.93GHz .4GB RAM • 640GB drive I aluminum MacBooks $999 •2.0GHz • 2GB RAM • 160GB drive only while supplies last! get.] 0% Off ;. Apple software 74, Ito get iWork ;1N.rk km.$20 with any new Mac* .after mail-in rebate 725 S Main, Logan • 755-7060 Expires 12.23.09. Not valid with any other offer. 725 S Main, Logan • 755-7060 Expires 12.23.09. 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