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USU blows out UC Riverside in ugly affair By
Bryan Beall Mis-dribbles, Butterfinger-dropped passes, flat jump shots, fouls, air balls . . . Call Utah State's 59-42 win over UC Riverside sloppy or defensive, but either way it was ugly. "It was not a pleasing to the eye type of game," USU coach Stew Morrill said. "We struggled offensively, there was no doubt about it. Especially the first half." The statistics from that half showed both teams' offensive shortcomings. USU shot 39 percent from the field including just one of six three-point shots. The Aggies turned the ball over 10 times, and were in the penalty with just under 15 minutes still left in the first half. Fortunately for USU, Riverside was worse. Center Vili Morton was the only UC Riverside player to shoot over 33 percent in the first half, and he had five turnovers. Overall, Riverside shot 6 for 26 for the field, hitting just 1 of 10 three-pointers. The second half was a different story, at least for Utah State. Although the final statistics showed well-balanced scoring for the Aggies, the second half was actually punctuated by stretches of individual offensive dominance. Forward Toraino Johnson got it going for USU by following up his own miss with a hustle lay-up soon after the beginning of the second half. He would score six in a row as USU stretched its halftime lead of 26-18 to 34-21. But UC Riverside was still in it until shooting guard Tony Brown took over. It wasn't his hesitating one-handed jump shot from six feet, or the effortless jumper he hit on the next possession from above the foul line. It wasn't even the athletic lay-up he squeezed off in a crowd. The key play in the game, the big peak in an otherwise flat contest, happened after the Riverside squad missed two lay-ups in the same possession. USU rushed the ball back to a wide-open Brown who nailed a three from the right wing, his fourth straight basket. The score was 43-26 at that point, and the game was all but over. The rest of the game was a formality, as USU forward Desmond Penigar showcased his offensive versatility. He drew contact, swished soft jumpers, and hit turnarounds over the outstretched hands of UC Riverside defenders. He would finish the game with 18 points in 24 minutes. A shell-shocked Riverside squad could do little but launch ill-advised, desperation three-pointers, or foul the Aggies in frustration. When it was over, Utah State had won its seventh game in a row and 20th of the season. The victory, coupled with a loss by UC Irvine, also moved the Aggies into first place in the Big West Conference. Coach Morrill did not mind that the game was something of an eyesore. "We have nothing to complain about," Morrill said. "We'll take a 17-point win and feel like we defended well any time."
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