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Show Wednesday, March 28, 2012 Page 7 WednesdayS110 Utah State University • Logan, Utah • www.utahstatesman.com MEN'S BASKETBALL TouchBase Aggies gear up for CIT title game AggieSchedules Softball WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28 USU at Utah, 4 p.m., Salt Lake City FRIDAY, MARCH 30, DH USU vs. Nevada, 2 p.m., 5 p.m. at LaRee and LeGrand Johnson Field SATURDAY, MARCH 31, USU vs. Nevada, 1 p.m. at LaRee and LeGrand Johnson Field USU to face tough Atlantic Sun opponnent in Mercer Bears BY TYLER HUSKINSON assistant sports editor During the season that has been considered to be a down year for the USU men's basketball team, the Aggies have experienced a record-setting postseason. With four straight postseason wins, the Aggies host another Collegelnsider.com Postseason Tournament Championship game at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. "It's good to still be playing, and it's a little odd to still be playing in some respects," USU head coach Stew Morrill said. "It's hard to believe this is the week of the NCAA Final Four, as I said the other night. We're excited that we have extended our season." USU hosts the Mercer Bears of the Atlantic Sun Conference on Wednesday, however it's not likely the Aggies will score 105 points as they did against Oakland on Sunday evening. "First of all, they're really good defensively," Morrrill said. "They do a very good job of getting in the gaps and playing inside the 3-point line — a lot of times they have five guys inside the 3-point line. You look at their field-goal percentage defense and watch them on film, and you know they're very sound." Mercer has allowed its opponents 38.6 percent shooting from the field and 30.6 percent shooting from 3-point land. "I've seen them play man. I've seen them play Baseball FRIDAY, MARCH 30 USU vs. Idaho State, 6 p.m., at Providence Field SATURDAY, MARCH 31, USU vs. Idaho State, noon USU vs. Idaho State, 2:30 p.m. Men's Basketball WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28 USU vs. Mercer, 7 p.m. at Dee Glen Smith Spectrum USU's Landes to headline gymnasts at regionals BY MEREDITH KINNEY sports senior writer The USU gymnastics team is sending three gymnasts to the NCAA North Central Regional Championships. After finishing fifth in the Western Athletic Conference Championships last weekend, the Aggies failed to qualify as a team, but freshman Sarah Landes, sophomore Paige Jones and senior Rebecca Holliday were all invited to represent the team. Landes leads the Aggies with an all-around regional qualifying score of 38.935. The Edmond, Okla., native posted her career-high 39.350 in a home dual against San Jose State. At the WAC championships, Landes posted at 39.150 for sixth and second team allWAC honors. Jones has an RQS of 38.865. At last year's North Central Regionals, Jones competed on vault and floor, finishing in 40th place on vault and 39th on floor. She has two allaround wins this season, winning back-to-back meets March 5 and March 9. See THREE, FRESHMAN FORWARD BEN CLIFFORD drives to the basket against Oakland's Corey Petros during USU's 105-81 blowout victory Sunday. USU hosts Mercer in the CIT championship game at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. CURTIS RIPPLINGER photo See AGGIES, Page 8 RODEO Rider headed to Nationals in saddle bronc BY MEGAN BODILY staff writer The Utah State rodeo club can check sending a rough stock rider to Nationals off of its to-do list. The club wrapped up its season this weekend, competing in two rodeos in three days. Traveling to Heber City and Utah Valley University, the rodeo club concluded its fall season with a national-qualifying saddle bronc rider and winning the Coach of the Year award. Ken Lym led the region in saddle bronc all year until this weekend. Bucking off his horse at the Rocky Mountain Regional Rodeo on Thursday and on a reride opportunity at UVU Friday, Lym fell to second place but still earned the right to go to nationals. Lym will travel to Casper, Wyo., June 11-18 to compete against the nation's best college contenders at the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association finals. Among rodeo action came regional year-end awards for the contestants and coaches. At the end of the year, members of the Rocky Mountain Region vote on several awards to give out to the contestants and clubs. Coach Jeff Hall won Coach of the Year for the first time this weekend for his time and effort with Page 9 the rodeo club. Club President Kate Clissold said Hall deserves the award for all his hard work. "It was a huge honor for (Hall), he does so much for the team, and we were excited to see him get recognized for the things he does for the club," Clissold said. The season ended on mixed results as both the men's and women's teams competed in their third Rocky Mountain Regional rodeo and final fall season rodeo. The regional provided opportunities for the members to earn double points while running in one go-round. The men's team went into the regional rodeo sitting in second place, within reach to qualify for nationals and was poised to maintain points and hold off College of Southern Idaho to go to nationals as a team. Not earning the points they needed, the men's team dropped to third in the region and out of national contention. Clissold said it was a disappointment the men's didn't place well enough. "The men's team dropped off a little in the end (of the season), and it is so frustrating because they really had a great season," Clissold said. "They were prob- ably the best men's team the club has ever had and they are a little sad at not making to nationals." The women's team struggled at the regional rodeo, not placing in points and missing opportunities. They bounced back at the second rodeo at UVU, having three women within point placing. Two freshman, Koel Hall and Shaylynn Johnson, both earned points in the breakaway roping. Johnson placed third in the average and Hall placed tenth in the long go. Clissold also earned points, placing fifth in the average in barrel racing after two rounds. "The women's team got it together a little more in the fall. The girls roped better in the spring, and we will have to keep it going for next fall season," Clissold said. "There are a lot of talented girls on the team, and a lot of them are freshman and next year we should be able to step up there and get in the points." The season did not end how the club members wanted it to, but Clissold said overall it was a successful season and the competitors are excited to have a chance to send a rough stock rider to Casper in June. "We are all really excited for Lym and it was a good season for all of us overall," Clissold said. - mega.bodi@aggiemail.usu.edu Rebecca Holliday gymnastics Sponsored by: Tr Intermountain® Logan Regional ‘it-10,► Sports Medicine Holliday, a native of Orange, Calif., has an all-around RQS of 38.400, averaging 38.404 this season. She posted her career-best of 38.925 this season and added a 38.900 to place 7th in the WAC Championships. She was invited to the Regional Championships by the NCAA. Vote for the Athlete of the Month Vote for your favorite Athlete beginning March 29 at Facebook.com/loganregional — One luck voter will win a cou • on for a free lunch at Win • ers! (March) |