Play of the game
Mike Jensen roared through the lane to slam down a missed three-pointer by Brandon Roy with 16:40 left. The play not only put the Huskies ahead by 11 but began to make apparent the difference in athleticism among the two teams.
Player of the game
With every other game having finished, the entire country was watching by the end of the game, and for those who had never seen Roy before, he gave them what they might have expected. He finished with a game-high 28 points.
Turning point
UW was ahead just 19-16 and the momentum appeared to be heading in Utah State's direction when Roy nailed a long three-pointer as the shot clock was dwindling. The shot started a 7-0 run that put UW ahead 27-16 with 2:54 left in the first half. Utah State never got closer than seven after that.
Key matchup
Utah State knew it had nobody who could guard Roy one-and-one and never tried, playing a zone much of the night and always sending two or three defenders at Roy. But none of it mattered.
By the numbers
0-6: Utah State's three-point shooting in the first half, an off night for a team that was ranked third in the country in that category this season.
9-16: UW's three-point shooting in the second half.
14: Rebounds for Nate Harris, the most for any player against the Huskies this year (California's Leon Powe had 13).
Quote
"It's definitely special to know that I came back my senior year and we are in the second round of the tournament with a chance to go to the Sweet 16 again." — UW senior guard Brandon Roy.
Next
Versus Illinois, Saturday, 2:30 p.m.
Print
PREV
Print
Back to top