Utah State’s Shooting Touch Stays Too Hot for UC Irvine, 102-83

The only neon lights on the main street of this town are attached to fast-food franchises, but Utah State’s basketball team is stealing the Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. spotlight from Nevada Las Vegas these days.

The Aggies may not have the glitter that accompanies their neighbors to the south--the Runnin’ Rebels are introduced as indoor fireworks explode overhead, while Aggie fans show their admiration by showering the court with toilet paper--but it is Utah State that will be in first place when the teams meet Thursday in Las Vegas.

The Aggies (16-6 overall and 11-2 in conference) won their sixth straight game Saturday night, blowing by UC Irvine, 102-83, in front of 8,162 in the Spectrum.

Utah State had nine days off late in January, and the rest did wonders for the Aggies’ shooting touch. In the five games since then, they have shot 64%, 57%, 61%, 54% and 61% from the field.

“We’re playing really well right now,” said sixth man Jeff Anderson, who led the Aggies with 22 points. “We’re playing so well it’s like we’re in a dream.”

It seemed more like a nightmare to Irvine Coach Bill Mulligan. Mulligan, who seldom says anything to the officials, tried desperately to get a technical in the second half.

He stormed out onto the court wildly waving his arms, and when that didn’t work, he picked up a plastic trash can from behind the Anteater bench and started to hurl it on the court. He stopped himself, however, and flung it down behind the bench.

“That was the worst-officiated game I’ve seen since I’ve been in the conference,” said Mulligan, in his eighth season at Irvine. “But let’s not lose sight of the fact that they played a great game.”

Utah State shot 78% from the field in the first half, the best shooting half in the school’s history, and led, 54-43, at the half. The Aggies are 11-0 in games they have led at the intermission. Irvine (11-10, 6-6) shot 41%.

“When Irvine beat us down there (87-81 on Jan. 14), they did a great job of getting in the passing lanes and in our faces on defense,” said Utah State Coach Rod Tueller, who announced last week that he will step down as coach at the end of the season. “So we spread our offense a bit to get some room to work.”

The tactic certainly paid off. Utah State had 14 first-half layups and 10 more in the second.

“We didn’t score much off the break, but we did get some good early-offense shots,” Tueller said. “Still, as well as we were playing, I didn’t feel that great about the game with eight minutes left.”

That may have had something to do with the fact that Mulligan came into this game with a remarkable 5-2 record in this facility, where the Aggies are 189-56. And it may have had something to do with the fact that Mike Labat’s layin with 9:11 remaining pulled Irvine within two points (72-70).

Tueller didn’t fret for long, though. The Aggies ran off a 21-5 stretch after Labat’s basket that put the game out of reach. Fourteen of those points came via the layup.

“We got to within two, and that’s when the officiating hurt us . . . the non-calls more than the bad calls,” Mulligan said. “But (Aggie point guard Kevin) Nixon killed us. We couldn’t defend him and he’d lick us and then just dish it off for a layup.”

Nixon, one of six Aggies who scored in double figures, made 7 of 11 shots and finished with 18 points and 5 assists. Forward Dan Conway made 6 of 9 from the floor and scored 15, guard Reid Newey hit 6 of 10 and had 14 points, center Greg Houskeeper was 6 of 9 for 12 points and Jon Judkins hit 2 of 3 and scored 10.

The only bright spot for Irvine was the play of senior Frank Woods. Mulligan was going to move Woods, who had averaged fewer than five points a game in his last three outings, from power forward to small forward but was forced to leave him inside when Ed Johansen stayed home with a severe cold. Woods made 7 of 9 shots and scored 20 points before fouling out with 5:45 left.

“Ed’s gonna meet us in San Jose (for Monday night’s game against San Jose State),” Mulligan said. “I’m not sure where he’ll play.”

Wayne Engelstad, whom Tueller calls “an offensive machine that we can’t stop,” scored 22, but he made only 7 of 19 shots. Guard Kevin Floyd added 14 for Irvine.

“You guys can draw your own conclusions (about the officiating),” Engelstad said. “They executed their stuff and we didn’t have much intensity on defense. We didn’t deserve to win . . . but I’m not saying we couldn’t have won.”