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Show Statesman Sports Page 10 Finest hour By TIM OLSEN staff writer Louisiana Tech handed Utah State its worst loss of the season back on Jan. 4. It was also the Aggies' last loss. From 0-2 in the WAC, USU had surged to 10-2 over the past month and back into first place in the conference. Wednesday night provided the Aggies not only a chance at retribution but an opportunity to move one step closer to a third consecutive regular season championship. After thoroughly thumping USU in Ruston, the Bulldogs were intimidated by the defending WAC champs. With that confidence, Louisiana Tech used a stifling defense to hold the Aggies in check in Wednesday's game. The Bulldogs shut down the Aggies highpowered offense, keeping USU under 50 percent shooting from the field. They shut down the Ags' 3-point shooting, holding the No. 1 longball team in the country to 40 percent. They even shut down Pooh Williams — for a half. Known more for his defensive prowess than his offensive abilities, the junior guard erupted for all 15 of his points in the second half. After struggling from the field (0-for-5) in the first half, Williams connected on 7-of8 shots in the final stanza to vault the Aggies to victory. "Obviously we went to Pooh a lot, and he got on a roll and scored a bunch of points in a row for us," said USU head coach Stew Morrill. "The most pleasing thing to me about that is how much he's matured as a Friday, Feb. 19, 2010 the Aggies were struggling to generate offense. Enter number 5. Using an aerial display that included multiple acrobatic moves getting to and around the basket, Williams scored 11 consecutive points for USU. His effort singlehandedly turned the flow of the game back in favor of the Aggies player — and I think as well as a person. Early in his career, if he'd of had a tough first half, he wouldn't have been able to turn it around. He's grown a great deal, and I think he had an outstanding game." The bunch of points that Morrill is referring to came during a six-minute stretch late in the second halHaving lost their lead to the Bulldogs and their top scorer (Tai Wesley, 16 points) to foul trouble, and gave the lead back to USU. "I just felt like, man, we need to get some buckets," Williams said. "We're playing good defense, but we're not scoring. So I just tried to be aggressive and see if I could make some shots, and they were See CLUTCH, page 11 Aggie Gymnasts face Brigham Young Friday BY USU ATHLETICS For the fourth meet in a row, Utah State (1-9, 0-2 WAC) gymnastics will take on an in-state foe when the Aggies host BYU (1-7) on Friday, Feb. 19. The battle between the Aggies and the Cougars starts at 7 p.m. at USU's Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. RQS RANKINGS APPEARING — Regional qualifying scores (RQS) started appearing in Monday's rankings. USU has a 187.670 RQS, while BYU doesn't have an RQS yet due to not having enough home meets. BEEHIVE STATE BATTLE-TESTED — Friday's meet against BYU will be Utah State's fifth matchup with an in-state foe, after taking on SUU Jan. 22, BYU Feb. 5, Utah Feb. 12 and Southern Utah Feb. 15. It is also the fourth straight meet against in-state opponents for USU. RANK STREAK — Friday is USU's first meet this season, when at least one opponent is not ranked in the top 30. The Aggies' first seven meets of the season had at least one ranked team. Utah State has faced No. 25 Central Michigan on Jan. 15, No. 30 New Hampshire on Jan. 17, No. 21 Southern Utah on Jan. 22, No. 21 Boise State on Jan. 29, No. 20 Denver on Feb. 5, No. 4 Utah on Feb. 12. IN THE RANKINGS — BYU is No. 34 in the updated Troester Women's Gymnastics rankings, for the week of Feb. 15, while Utah State is No. 58. The Cougars are also ranked No. 6 in the North Central region rankings, while the Aggies are eighth. UP NEXT — Utah State hits the road for two meets, heading to Fullerton, Calif, for a tri-meet with WAC foe Cal State Fullerton along with UCLA on Friday, Feb. 26. The Aggies then tangle with the Broncos of Boise State on Friday, March 5, at Boise, Idaho. USU returns home for its final two regular-season meets, hosting San Jose State on Friday, March 12 and Sacramento State on Friday, March 19. TICKET INFO — USU gymnastics tickets are available through the USU Ticket Office at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, call 1-888-USTATE-1 or 797-0305 or online 24 hours a day at www. UtahStateAggies.com and clicking on the "buy/ renew tickets" under the "tickets" drop-down menu. ABOUT UTAH STATE — The injury-stricken, short-handed Aggies are 1-9 overall and 0-2 in WAC action, after Monday's action with No. 19 Southern Utah, in which the Aggies had seven gymnasts in action, totaling a 186.675, while the Thunderbirds posted a 195.075. USU had six on bars and beam and five on vault and floor. In last Friday's meet at No. 4 Utah, the Aggies had only four gymnasts on floor and five on beam and vault, totaling a 178.250. USU had a season-high 48.475 on bars, the lone event that the Aggies had six gymnasts competing. Utah State had a threemeet road swing to open the season, dropping a dual at Central Michigan in the season-opener on Jan. 15 and then finishing third at the four-team New Hampshire Invitational on Jan. 17. USU got into the win column for the first time in its second meet of the year, after not getting its first win until the 11th meet of the year last season. The Aggies were on the short end of a 195.050-191.225 dual at No. 21 Southern Utah on Jan. 22. In its home opener on Jan. 29, USU just missed out on upsetting No. 21 Boise State, dropping a 191.625191.125 decision. In the Feb. 15 rankings, the Aggies are sixth in the WAC with a 188.333 team total. USU is fifth on beam (47.050) while ranking sixth on vault (47.671), bars (47.879) and floor (45.733). Monday's meet is not figured into the rankings, and Utah State now has a 188.096 team total average, including a 47.904 on bars, 47.557 on vault, 47.061 on beam and 45.575 on floor. Individually, senior Heather Heinrich is eighth in the WAC and 12th in the North Central region in vault with a 9.767 average (9.754 after Monday). Heinrich is also tied for 110th in the nation on vault. Heinrich also leads USU on BracketBuster preview Aggies and Shockers are two very similar teams. The Aggies staff writer are allowing their opponents 60.5 points per game, and they The Utah State Aggies (21-6, are scoring 73.6 points per 11-2) will face the Wichita State game. The Shockers are allowing Shockers (22-6, 11-5) Feb. 20, their opponents to score 60.7 for the ESPNU BracketBuster. Stew Morrill, points per game, and they are The Aggies will be looking to averaging 70 points per game. Aggie head coach extend their 11-game winning The Shockers are undefeated streak, against the Shockers at home (16-0); however, they from the touted Missouri Valley each other was Nov. 24, 1995, haven't had the same success on Conference. in Hilo, Hawaii. The Shockers the road (5-5). "Wichita State is a highpulled out a victory in double Sophomore guard Toure' caliber team from a highovertime, 63-61. This will be the Murry leads a trio of Shockers caliber conference," said Aggie second time that the Shockers averaging double-figure point head coach Stew Morrill. "The have traveled to Logan, as USU totals. Murry is averaging 12.4 Missouri Valley is known as a defeated Wichita State, 102points per game, and senior really good basketball league 83, on Dec. 16, 1967, at the old guard Clevin Hannah is right and Wichita State has long had Nelson Fieldhouse. behind Murry, averaging 12.3 great tradition. Going back Statistically speaking, the points per game. Junior forward to when I was JT Durley is averagin high school, ing 11.2 points per Wichita State game, and he scored was a team that 16 points to lead the you were aware Shockers over the USU 121-61 of. They get great Evansville Aces, 76support, and they VS. WICHITA ST. (22-61 me 70, in overtime, at are having a fabuStew Morrill (12th year) Wichita State on Feb. lous year. Gregg Marshall (3rd year) 17. Utah State and Tip-off against the Feb. 19, Dee Glenn Smith Spectrum, 10:05 p.m. Wichita State Shockers is scheduled will be meeting USU probable starters La. Tech probable starters for 10 p.m. at the for the 10th time C - Nate Bendall 10.6 F - Aaron Ellis 3.8 Spectrum. The game — with the Aggies F - Tai Wesley 13.3 F - JT Durley 11.2 F - Tyler Newbold 8.4 G - Clevlin Hannah 12.3 will be televised on owning a 5-4 allG - Pooh Williams 9.0 G - Graham Hatch 9.4 ESPN2. time advantage. G - Jared Quayle 12.1 G - Toure Murry 12.4 — ty.d.hus@aggiemail. The last time the usu. edu two teams played By TYLER HUSKINSON kfroafft6 "Wichita State is a high-caliber team from a high-caliber conference..." Meet the Challenge , floor with a 9.629 average (9.636 after Monday), ranking 13th in the conference and 38th in the region. Freshman Amelia Montoya ranks sixth in the conference and 16th in the region in the all-around, with a 38.192 average, while Heinrich is seventh in the league and 17th in the region, and junior Lyndsie Boone is eighth in the conference and 19th in the region (37.915). Sophomore Rebecca Holliday is second in the WAC and sixth in the region with the 9.8 from her season debut in the Utah dual (9.700 after Monday). Sophomore Rachel Flessner is 15th in the conference and 34th in the region on beam (9.565 / 9.563 after Monday). INJURY BUG — Utah State has been bitten by the injury bug, as junior Jackie Dillon, sophomores Rebecca Holliday and Brandie Dickson, along with freshman Amelia Montoya all missed the BYU-Denver tri-meet because of injuries, as USU had only six gymnasts in action. The injury bug bit again, with junior Lyndsie Boone and sophomore Chelsea Marquardt suffering knee injuries with awkward vault landings at the BYU meet and are questionable for the Utah meet. On the good news front, Dillon, Holliday and Dickson competed last Friday at Utah on a limited action basis and had extended action Monday against Southern Utah and are expected for continued limited action Friday. Blue&White Sports Debate Join the discussion at www.aggietownsquare.com This Friday's matchup '4 7 , VS. • Landon Hemsley Steve Clark And the topics are... 1. Thoughts on Aggie men's basketball? 2. NBA trade deadline 3. 2010 Vancouver Olympics 4. Shaun White 5. Play of the week |