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Johnson makes way for win over NMSU
By Wade Dennistron
Donnie Johnson has paved the way many times for the Utah State men's basketball team this season, and Jan. 30 against New Mexico State was no different.
With 8-of-12 shooting from the field, Johnson, a 6-foot-6 senior center, netted 16 points in the Aggies' 61-54 victory over Big West Conference leading NMSU.
"We fought really hard. Even though some people thought that we weren't going to win tonight because they were 7-0 in the conference, I knew that if we played together we would win," said Johnson, who also had a game-high 14 rebounds.
Johnson's double-double was his sixth of the season and 12th of his career.
Freshman guard Tony Brown joined Johnson as the only other Aggie player to score in double figures with 12 points. Rick Randall, Pharoah Davis and Troy Rolle each added eight points.
NMSU (15-6 overall, 7-1 Big West) didn't exactly help its own cause, shooting a miniscule 32.8 percent from the floor.
"We did a poor job running our offense. Billy Keys struggled to get the offense going tonight," said NMSU coach Lou Henson. "We just didn't get the offense to run and that was one of the things that killed us."
Keys, a 6-foot-2 junior guard, shot just 3-of-16 from the field, including 1-of-5 from three-point land, for seven points.
NMSU dominated USU early, surging ahead to an 11-4 lead before Brown got the Aggies back into the game with a three-pointer.
After playing catch-up for most of the first half, USU was able to tie the game at 28 at halftime on Randall's 18-footer from the top of the key.
"Rick Randall was huge in the first half," said USU coach Stew Morrill. "Rick
started in the second half because he deserved it. It is really encouraging to see him step up like that."
NMSU was able to stay with USU throughout the second half thanks to the hot
shooting of senior center Charles Gosa. He scored 14 of his 17 points in the half and finished shooting 7-of-13 from the field, while pulling down a team-high 13 rebounds.
"Gosa's a versatile player," said Johnson, who guarded him most of the night. "He's a good player."
USU took the lead for good with 10:47 left to play on Tyrone Allick's 8-foot jumper from the left wing, 44-42.
The Aggies increased its lead to 52-46 on Johnson's fifth dunk of the night.
"Donnie Johnson just killed us," said Henson. "Charles Gosa just couldn't do
anything with him. Johnson was just too tough physically for him and we just couldn't handle Johnson inside."
NMSU had one more run left in them when Keys hit his only three-pointer of the night to bring the team within one, 55-54, with 1:14 to play. But Johnson drove the game home with a 2-foot scoop shot that brought the Spectrum crowd of 8,738 to its feet.
"Rubber man-he elongates," said Morrill about Johnson's clutch shot. "It's amazing. Donnie stepped up huge."
So did the Aggies.
The win improves the Aggies to 11-8 overall and 4-4 in conference play heading into next week's road trip to Cal State Fullerton and Nevada.
"This is big-time confidence," said USU's Rashad Elliott.
"That win gave us a lot of confidence," added Johnson. "As long as we got our
energy, I don't think too many teams in the Big West can beat us."
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