Denver 68, Utah State 57
At the moment, if any team is going to upset the longtime WAC powerhouse Aggies, it looks like it will be the Pioneers. Denver’s slow nonconference start wasn’t an indication of how its WAC schedule would play out, and with a seven-game win streak, the Pioneers haven’t lost since their season-opener. A comfortable 11-point victory gave the Aggies their first loss of the WAC campaign, and breaking into the Top 25 will be that much harder for Stew Morrill’s team. Brett Olson scored 18 points, Chase Hallam had 14, Chris Udofia had 13 and Jalen Love rounded it out with another 10 for Denver.
Texas State 81, Texas-San Antonio 78
It took overtime to separate the conference’s winless teams from Texas, but the eventual victors trailed late in the overtime period and relied on a crucial 3-pointer to catapult them into the lead. Reid Koenen connected from beyond the arc, and with a 77-76 lead, the Bobcats would allow the Roadrunners a bucket on their next possession. Texas State’s Joel Wright hit the eventual winner on the Bobcats’ final possession, a 3-point shot which would give the Bobcats a decisive 3-point lead. Michael Hale III’s offensive output (33 points) wasn’t enough in overtime, as Hale III attempted, but missed a buzzer beater. Kannon Burrage reeled off another 25 for the host Roadrunners.
La. Tech 78, Seattle U. 71
With Utah State’s loss, the Bulldogs are now alone atop the WAC standings. It was the La. Tech bench that would get it done once again for the conference leaders, while the Bulldog starters could only ante up 18 points. The bench was good for 60 points, headed by Alex Hamilton and Jaron Johnson scoring 15 points a piece. The Redhawks sit with Texas State and UTSA, as WAC bottom dwellers with only one win. If anything positive can come out of the next few weeks for Seattle U., it’s that they get the Bobcats and Roadrunners at home Thursday and Saturday. For La. Tech, a showdown with Utah State at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum is on tap. To oust the Aggies on their home court, the Bulldogs may require more production from star sophomore Raheem Appleby. In his last six games, Appleby has scored in double digits just twice. In the other four, he’s averaged 4.5 points-per-game.
New Mexico State 70, San Jose State 53
Enough talk about 7-foot-5 man-child Sim Bhullar. Sophomore Daniel Mullings is the conference’s most versatile player and when the Toronto native learns some consistency, he’ll also become the conference’s best plyer. In a rout of the Spartans in Las Cruces, Mullings had 13 points, seven rebounds, three steals and two assists. Only one Spartan scored in double digits, and Aggie forward Bandja Sy led all scorers with 14 points, while grabbing another eight rebounds. The monster-ish Aggies could very well be a WAC Tournament contender. First, the young guns need to mature.
Theo Lawson can be reached at [email protected]