Bad Loss for UC Irvine

Spencer Nelson scored a game-high 25 points and Utah State put aside its struggles on the road with a dominating 77-52 victory over UC Irvine in a Big West Conference game Thursday in front of 2,831 at the Bren Center.

Utah State, 14-5 overall and 5-3 in the Big West, had won all 10 of its home games by an average of 22 points but had lost all three of its Big West road contests this season. But the Aggies shot 72% in the second half to deal Irvine its worst loss in the series in five years.

“It’s a lot easier when you’re making shots,” Utah State Coach Stew Morrill said.

Irvine (9-7, 3-5) led, 27-25, on Greg Ethington’s layup. but Utah State scored the final seven points before intermission and then opened the second half with a 6-0 run.

“When the game was on the line, we lost our focus in the last five minutes of the first half,” Irvine Coach Pat Douglass said. “We didn’t take care of the basketball. They were on all cylinders tonight.”

Aaron Fitzgerald led the Anteaters with 18 points.

The Aggies shot 59.6% from the field.