Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
LOGAN — No. 22 Utah State defeated the Air Force Falcons 72-60 at home Friday night.
"Gutsy win for our guys," Aggies coach Danny Sprinkle said.
Though the Aggies had a 13-point advantage entering the second half, Air Force came out strong in the second half with an early 6-0 run.
Great Osobor, who scored 32 points in the last meeting between the two teams, struggled to get much of anything going Friday night. Osobor got fouled hard early in the second half and was forced to leave the court, with blood coming from his head.
The play was later designated as a Flagrant 1 foul on Kellan Boylan.
He was just one of several Aggies who bled Friday night — even Sprinkle was bleeding a bit on his finger after the game.
In Osobor's absence, the Aggies held a lead, though their offensive efficiency suffered.
Osobor, though, re-entered the court near the eight minute mark with a bandage over his right eye. He finished the game with just 6 points, but the Aggies offense got a spark upon his return, extending their lead to as large as 19 points.
The Aggies were led in scoring by Ian Martinez, who finished with 21 points. The scoring, however, was largely done by committee for the Aggies; Utah State had five players with at least 9 points, with the team shooting 53% from the field.
"It feels good to start getting back into my rhythm," Martinez said, who has struggled a bit in the past few games on offense. "I've just got to be a little more careful with the ball. I think I can still improve in that area, but I'm glad I'm able to get back in my rhythm."
Sprinkle gave credit to Javon Jackson and Isaac Johnson who both took on non-traditional roles in the win. Jackson played nearly 30 minutes despite coming off the bench, while Johnson played for just two and a half minutes after sitting for more than 30 minutes when Osobor got hurt.
Mason Falslev also earned praise from Sprinkle for his efforts Friday. Falslev scored 10 points, dished out five assists, and pulled in six rebounds, all while guarding Air Force's leading scorer, Rytis Petraitis.
Air Force's offense followed a similar "by committee" approach, especially in the second half, as Petraitis struggled to generate any offense. Petraitis, who the Aggies faithful pestered all evening, scored 14 points but finished the second half with just 4 points on 2-of-10 shooting.
The Aggies have just two more games remaining this season: one on the road Wednesday against San Jose State, and their season finale at home against New Mexico next Saturday. Both games will be televised on CBSSN.
Should the Aggies win both, they will claim the regular season Mountain West Conference title and the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament.
"It's crazy. (The season) went by fast," Martinez said.
