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INDIANAPOLIS — It's been a long time coming for the Aggies.
For the first time in 23 years, Utah State will advance past the first round of the NCAA Tournament after the Aggies beat ninth-seeded TCU 88-72 Friday night.
"Unbelievable win," Aggies coach Danny Sprinkle said after his first NCAA Tournament win as a head coach. "Just the toughness and the grit our guys showed against a Big 12 team. That's a physical, that's a really good team."
After the Horned Frogs gave up an early lead midway through the first half, the Aggies took over and never looked back. An exciting, balanced team performance, paired with an impressive second half run, led the Aggies to an 18-point lead.
And what a team performance it was.
The Aggies' had six players who scored 8 points or more, and the team finished with 22 assists, 10 steals and nine blocks.
"There's no other way to put it, they simply out-executed us and killed us in the paint," Horned Frogs coach Jamie Dixon said.
Isaac Johnson, who averages the least of the Aggies' typical starters, scored a career-high 19 points on 6-of-10 shooting; Ian Martinez added 21 points four rebounds and four assists; Darius Brown II finished with a double-double of 10 points and 10 assists; and Great Osobor finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
"We had so many big plays by everybody that got in," Sprinkle said. "I mean, almost everybody that got in scored, had a rebound, and, (I'm) really proud of our guys."
Though Utah State will be an underdog in the next round against Purdue, the team's first-round tournament victory means more to the program.
The Aggies haven't won a tournament game since they upset fifth-seeded Ohio State in 2001. They also just won their second tournament game in the last 53 years. Since 1971, their NCAA Tournament record is 2-18.
The team's NIT success during that period (or lack thereof) has been much the same, with a record of 0-8.
Despite the lack of postseason wins, Sprinkle said the Aggies' tradition of postseason appearances has been impressive, and the win Friday is "awesome for our program and our community."
Keeping their one game tournament win streak alive, though, it could not come against a more difficult opponent. Purdue, whom the Aggies will face Sunday in the second round, spent much of the season ranked as the top team in the country and are led by two-time NCAA Player of the Year Zach Edey.
Though the Aggies are likely to enter the game as a double-digit underdogs, Johnson said his team has got a shot to take down the Boilermakers.
"No matter that they're the No. 1 seed or been ranked throughout the country for however many weeks, I think we have the capability to hang with anybody," Johnson said of their formidable upcoming matchup. "I think we have a good chance."
"We're going to have to play like we did tonight," Sprinkle added. "We have to play with a little bit of a chip on our shoulder."
The Aggies will face Purdue in Indianapolis on Sunday (12:40 p.m. MDT, CBS).
Utah State is just one of two Mountain West teams remaining in the tournament, along with No. 5 seed San Diego State, who will play 13-seeded Yale Sunday night for a spot in the Sweet 16.
