LOGAN -- They are just days removed from the disappointing news that the career of star big man Brady Jardine is finished due to a foot surgery from an injury he sustained more than two months ago.
Starting center Morgan Grim was hindered the entire game due to that nagging foot injury that has restricted him all season.
The Aggies proved in the second half that neither struggle was enough to keep them from ending a skid that has involved four losses in the last six games. Utah State (13-12, 5-5 WAC) out-willed Louisiana Tech in the second half, beating the Bulldogs 77-63 Thursday night in the Smith Spectrum.
Louisiana Tech (11-13, 3-6 WAC) was led by guards Brandon Gibson and Raheem Appleby, who scored 15 points apiece. But a 20-point effort from forward Kyisean Reed and a 20-point display from guard Preston Medlin, who went 4-6 from three-point range, was more than enough to place the Aggies back in the win column following close losses at Nevada and Fresno State last week.
"We needed a win in the worst way, obviously," USU coach Stew Morrill said. "I think we did the things we had to do. It is not easy for us to win; we have got to just keep fighting to find a way to get wins."
USU was lifted by what Morrill called a "really good floor game" from point guard Brockeith Pane, whose six assists were delivered turnover-free. The senior scored nine points as E.J. Farris and Ben Clifford each scored seven points off the bench.
"I talked with (Pane) about how we can't have so many turnovers out of our guards, him and Preston (Medlin)," Morrill said of the Dallas, Texas product. "That was the key thing for us."
Reed brought down the Spectrum house when he completed an electrifying alley-oop from Medlin with 7:29 remaining, giving the Aggies their largest lead at 63-47. It completed a 14-4 run that included a second flush from Reed and five points from Medlin, including a 3-pointer.
"That gave me a boost," Morrill said when asked if Reed's rim-rattler -- fans were Tweeting that it would be a "shame" if it doesn't make ESPN's Top 10 plays for the day -- was the key to motivating the crowd to give USU sufficient momentum. "Kyisean got loose for a while, but it's really key when Kyisean plays big."
Reed did so for his team against a Bulldog club that doesn't field a starter taller than 6-8. The Antelope Valley JC transfer nabbed nine rebounds.
Medlin converted on three consecutive bombs in the first half, including two highly-contested deep attempts from the top of the key within a minute of each other minutes into the contest. It helped USU keep a lead that they only lost once later, which came less than 10 minutes into the game.
Louisiana Tech coach Michael White said he expected the Aggies to play more zone to counter the Bulldogs' full-court press efforts, which caused Nevada to commit 22 turnovers when they were edged by Nevada 65-63 in Ruston, La. last Saturday.
But the Bulldogs shot less than 40 percent from the field, including 8-27 from the three-point line, while being outrebounded 35-29.
"We thought we had to settle for more jumpers," he said. "We were pretty good against their zone, so anytime they jumped into it, they jumped right back out. We did a good job exploiting some mismatches and getting into they paint, but you have to make open threes on the road. Especially in an environment like this, you've got to slow down their runs."
USU will face New Mexico State in Logan on Saturday. The contest will begin in an earlier-than-normal 1 p.m. time since the game will be televised on ESPN2.
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