'Spectrum magic' gives Aggies big comeback win against Boise State

A BSU FAN: NBA Coach George Karl visited the Spectrum to watch his son play for Boise State. / Photo by Patrick Oden

By Dave Archer

January 20, 2007 | Nearly everyone has heard Yogi Berra's phrase, "It ain't over 'til it's over."

Luckily for Aggie fans, it looks as if Utah State has bought into that philosophy, as the Aggies were able to turn a late 13-point deficit into an improbable 80-79 victory over Boise State Thursday night.

Head coach Stew Morrill didn't know where to put the credit, other than the venue.

"Spectrum magic, that's about all I can figure out," he said. "We don't win that game on a neutral (site), we don't win that game on the road, we don't win that game at a park. We had to be at the Spectrum."

Things looked bleak for Utah State (14-5, 3-2) late in the second half, as a three-point bucket by the Boise State's (8-8, 2-3) Anthony Thomas at the 5:31 mark gave the Broncos a 73-60 lead. Even at that point, however, the Aggie players still felt the game was far from over.

"We knew if we put a couple of stops together, get a couple of baskets, we could come back," forward Chaz Spicer said.

The 8,000-plus raucous fans in attendance also appeared confident the team could come back.

"Our home crowd kept us in it,they didn't give up on us," guard Jaycee Carroll said. "They could have easily started filing out the door. But they were here, they were loud and they kept us going."

"The atmosphere was crazy, that's why I love the Spectrum so much," Spicer added. "The fans here are great, I can't even explain how great they are."

After Boise State's Eric Lane hit a pair of free throws to give the Broncos a 79-70 lead with two minutes to go, the Aggies were able to hold Boise scoreless the rest of the contest while scoring 10 points of their own to claim the victory.

"We got a couple of stops . . . and we hit some shots that allowed us to stay in it and have a chance to win," Carroll said.

Spicer was a monster inside for the Aggies, scoring 20 points and pulling down eight rebounds. Yet none was bigger than his rebound of a blocked Jaycee Carroll layup with 12 seconds to play and his team down by two. Spicer was able to grab the ball and put it in the basket with 7.4 seconds to go, getting fouled in the process.

Making what proved to be the game-winning free-throw was no problem for Spicer, who claimed he felt no pressure as he took the shot.

"'Make it,' that's the only thing that was going through my head," he said. "There was no pressure, really."

Carroll also chipped in 19 for the Aggies, including a huge three-point shot with 49 seconds to go that cut the Boise State lead to two.

"I'm just real happy it went in," he joked.

Senior forward Durrall Peterson, who also had a huge game with 18 points, five assists and two rebounds, said the way the team got there wasn't as important as the fact that they were able to pick up a victory.

"To me, it just matters if you get that 'W' at the end of the game," he said. "I don't care if you're up, down or what, as long as you come out with a win, that's all that matters."

Guard Coby Karl lead the way for the Broncos, finishing with 17 points, seven rebounds, five assists, two blocks and a steal. Reggie Larry also had 17 points while Matt Nelson and Matt Bauscher each added 12.

Next up for the Aggies is a trip to San Jose State on Saturday for another big conference matchup. Although the Spartans enter the game at 2-14, Morrill believes that they are better than what their record shows.

"They have had hardly any home games, that's a big part of their record," he said. "They've got some good players and some athletic kids. We'll have to get our game plan ready, but at least we're coming off a win."

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