The Aggies made a statement by defeating No. 19 San Diego State 68-63 at home

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LOGAN — In an impressive team display, Utah State upset No. 19 San Diego State 68-63 to take first place in the Mountain West.

“Obviously I'm very proud of our team,” Aggies coach Danny Sprinkle said. “The way they responded against the team that was runner-up last year. … Everyone had a hand in (the win), you know? Our team is very tight-knit. That's what makes this group special.”

In a close affair, the Aggies' lead was cut to just one point late in the game, but the Aggies held the Aztecs scoreless through nearly four of the final five minutes of play to clinch the win.

“It shows we're fighters,” said guard Darius Brown II, who scored 25 points that night. “I think sometimes people hit the panic button on us sometimes when games go bad. … Knowing this team, we're fighters, we're going to be okay.”

The game was as advertised. The pendulum of momentum swung back and forth throughout the evening, ultimately swinging in the Aggies' favor. Neither team leads by more than 10 points at any point in the match; Both teams were fouled in the second half, illustrating the intense emotions that prevailed the evening.

“We knew first place was on the line, and I was excited about it all week,” Brown said. “I think that's what brought the emotion to it, is that we were all really prepared and really excited for this game.”

Brown and Great Osobor, Sprinkle's Montana State transfer duo, ran the Aggies' offense during the contest. Together they had 42 points on 15-of-23 shooting.

Osobor was busy all evening, playing against one of the best players in the Mountain West in Jaydon Leddy, who scored 23 points on 8-of-13 shooting and grabbed six rebounds.

“He's one of the best players in America,” Osobor said of LeDee. “He's got a lot to deal with. … I love games like that. When you play against the best players, it gets me going. I went to bed last night excited.”

The matchup between Osobor and LeDee was what was expected from two Mountain West Player of the Year candidates.

“These were two big pigs wrestling in the mud the whole game,” Sprinkle said. “(Osobor) and Lady, those are two of the best big players in the country.”

The Aggies, who lost on the road to the Aztecs earlier this season and are coming off a 20-point loss to Colorado State, were physical and ferocious from the start in an attempt to get back on track and avenge the loss. Sprinkle said his team had a “chip on their shoulder” that was noticeable Tuesday night.

The win also prompted the Aggies' followers to chant “We love Sprinkle” at the conclusion of the game.

“It's cool, but (the fans) love the team,” Sprinkle said of the chant. “It's the team that does these things, man. It's like they're the ones making the shots, getting the extra effort, rebounding, fighting for 40 minutes, like, this is a tough team, man.”

The win marks the end of a difficult stretch of the schedule for the Aggies. Utah State will have a full week off before its next contest, which comes on the road against Fresno State next Tuesday.

Three of the Aggies' last four regular-season matchups will come against the three worst teams in the Mountain West (Fresno State, Air Force, and San Jose State). If the Aggies put in the work in those games, they will eclipse the 25-win regular season and should be a lock for the NCAA Tournament.

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