Utah State has tougher test against Montana but still comes out on top to remain undefeated

LOGAN — The visitors from Big Sky country gave the Aggies their biggest test of the young season, but Utah State managed to emerge with a 95-83 victory over Montana Monday night at the Spectrum.
“I thought Montana gave us a heck of a battle,” USU head coach Jerrod Calhoun said. “I’ve been saying it for three days now that I think these guys will win the Big Sky and go to the NCAA Tournament, I really do.”
Utah State (4-0) came up just short of scoring at least 100 points for the first time this season despite getting a career-high 32 from graduate guard Ian Martinez and a career-high-tying 25 from sophomore guard Mason Falslev.
Falslev went 11 for 17 from the floor with two 3-pointers, while Martinez knocked down four 3-point attempts and went a perfect 16 for 16 from the free-throw line.
That performance is the best ever for an Aggie from the line without a miss, surpassing a 15-for-15 effort by program all-time leading scorer Jaycee Carroll in 2007.
“I have to get all of them,” Martinez said with a slight smile. “There’s nobody guarding me, so I should be making all of them.”
The Grizzlies (2-3) trailed 49-35 at halftime, but they managed to trim USU’s advantage down to just two points in the first five minutes of the second half and were down just 68-63 with just under nine minutes remaining in the game.
Montana shot 60% in the first half, 51.6% for the game and outrebounded the Aggies by a 37-33 margin.
Sophomore guard Money Williams paced the Griz with 25 points, while graduate guard Joe Pridgen (18 points, eight rebounds) and freshman forward Jensen Bradtke (17 points) also scored in double figures.
“I think the guys battled all night,” Montana head coach Travis DeCuire said. “It’s a great crowd and a great environment. I think we knew coming in that a run like that in the first half could happen, and I don’t think we ever wanted it to get to 15.
“I think we weren’t ready for the zone as much as we wanted to be. Give them a lot of credit, they pushed the ball really hard in transition and did a really good job in the second half.”
Utah State shot an even 50% from the field as a team, including a 9-of-20 effort from 3-point range. The Aggies, who were averaging over 20 assists per game, finished with just nine against the Grizzlies, but USU offset that by totaling 11 steals — five of them by Falslev — and 18 total turnovers, which the home team turned into 27 points.
“Not to discredit them, but I think it was more on our end,” Martinez said of Utah State’s lack of assists. “I think we need to come in with a better mindset offensively and not led them get into us defensively.
“They did a good job being physical with us, and we have to do a better job next time of staying solid and not let someone get us out of our offense.”
The Aggies were likely thrown off their game offensively and defensively due to the absence of starting center Aubin Gateretse. The 6-foot-11 senior suffered a concussion in practice over the weekend and wasn’t cleared to play Monday night.
“Hopefully he’s cleared tomorrow,” Calhoun said. “… But he was dizzy after he got hit in the head so he’s going to go into protocol, but he’s progressing really nice, so we think he’ll be back tomorrow for practice.”
Junior forward Isaac Johnson, who didn’t play in last week’s game against Westminster, has also been dealing with knee and hip issues. That led to Calhoun giving the first-career start to Karson Templin, and while the sophomore forward ended up totaling 12 points and nine rebounds in less than 25 minutes, at 6-foot-8 he doesn’t have the same shot-altering defensive presence that Gateretse does.
That helped Pridgen get going early, as he scored seven of Montana’s first nine points before the Aggies settled in, rallied back from a four-point deficit and went on a 20-8 run to take the lead for good.
Falslev scored six straight points for Utah State late in the half and managed to survive three consecutive hard trips to the floor in the process to leave the hosts up by 14 at intermission.
But after scoring just six points in the first half, Williams totaled 19 in the second half to keep the Grizzlies within striking distance down the stretch.
The 6-foot-4 guard from Oakland was coming off a 30-point performance in Montana’s loss to Tennessee while also dealing with some personal tragedy.
His father, Money Williams Sr., died in November 2023, and his mother, Latoya Bailey, died on Oct. 12. After taking a leave of absence from the Grizzlies, he and his sister, Mo’Ney, decided that he will remain in school while they raise their three younger siblings.
“He’s just a remarkable young man,” Calhoun said of Williams. “I wish him well the rest of the season, as well in life. He’s had a lot he’s had deal with; something that no young man should have to deal with. So, I’m a big fan for his, and I don’t know if I’m allowed to donate (to Williams’ GoFundMe) or not, but I certainly would like to help, so I’m going to ask.”
After opening the season with four straight home games, the Aggies will leave Cache Valley for the first time this season to take on Iowa Friday night in Kansas City.