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RENO, Nev. (ABC4 Sports) – The Utah State men’s basketball (13-1, 3-0 MW) closed out 2024 with a victory, wrapping up an undefeated three-game road trip with a 69-64 win over Nevada at the Lawlor Event Center.
The Aggies used a big second half to come from behind in this one, sparked by a string of 17-straight points from Ian Martinez, who scored 17 of the team’s 19 points in the final seven minutes to secure the win.
Utah State got off to a strong start, shooting well early on and jumping out to a 22-14 advantage midway through the first half. The Aggies led for nearly the first 17 minutes, but an 0-for-6 shooting stretch with three turnovers in the final six minutes of the half resulted in a 12-1 scoring run for the hosts. Nevada took a 33-28 lead into the break.
The second half started the same way as the first, with the Aggies in control. USU came out of the locker room strong, scoring 12 of the half’s first 16 points, including an 8-0 run to jump back in front with a 40-37 lead. From that point, Utah State never looked back, leading the rest of the way. The Aggies stretched their lead to as many as eight points, but Nevada remained within punching distance.
After not scoring a single point through the first 33 minutes, Martinez was responsible for 17-straight Aggie points down the stretch. In the final seven minutes, he shot 6-for-7 from the floor, 1-of-1 from deep and 4-of-4 at the free throw line. Martinez finished with 17 points, two rebounds and three assists. This was his 14th double-figure scoring output in as many games.
The Wolf Pack shaved USU’s lead to a few as two points, but 4-for-4 free throw shooting by the Aggies in the final minute helped ice the game. In total, USU out-scored Nevada 41-31 in the second half.
Utah State took advantage of downhill scoring opportunities throughout, out-scoring Nevada on the fast break 20-3. The Aggies also controlled down low, out-scoring the Wolf Pack in the paint 30-22.
Tucker Anderson put together his second-straight strong scoring game, going for 16 points while also recording a rebound and three assists. He shot 5-of-9 from the field and a perfect 5-of-5 at the charity stripe.
Mason Falslev also filled the stat sheet, going for 14 points, six rebounds, a team-high five assists and five steals. His five takeaways tied a career-high for the second-straight game.
Utah State shot 52.2 percent (24-of-46) from the floor, 40.0 percent (8-of-20) from behind the 3-point arc and 72.2 percent (13-of-18) at the free throw line. Nevada finished the night shooting 42.1 percent (24-of-57) from the field, 30.4 percent (7-of-23) from 3-point range and 75.0 percent (9-of-12) from the free throw line.
Utah State will now return home to open 2025 with a game against Fresno State on Saturday, Jan. 4. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m., at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.