Utah State men's basketball closed out its preseason slate with a 101-79 exhibition victory over West Coast Conference preseason favorite Santa Clara on Saturday afternoon at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum in Logan, Utah. The Aggies dominated much of the contest, leading by as many as 28 points and holding a halftime advantage of 41-35.
The Aggie defense limited the Broncos, an NCAA Tournament team in 2025-26, to 39 percent shooting from the field and 20 percent shooting from three-point range. Utah State also forced 14 turnovers that resulted in 18 points.
Senior guard Mason Falslev, returning after missing last week's exhibition game at Saint Mary's due to injury, recorded a team-best 25 points in 23 minutes of play. Falslev shot 8-of-13 from the floor and 7-of-9 from the free throw line, contributing nine points during a second-half scoring run where Utah State outscored Santa Clara by 16.
Graduate forward Connor Turnbull also made a significant impact, finishing with 16 points and eight rebounds, which was a team-high. The Aggies dominated the boards, out-rebounding Santa Clara 46-35 and outscoring the Broncos 46-34 in the paint.
Other notable contributions included eight points each from sophomore guard Brayden Boe and freshman guard Ace Reiser. All 12 dressed Utah State players participated, with 10 players logging 10 or more minutes of play. The Aggie bench totaled 33 points.
Utah State finished the game shooting 49.3 percent from the field and 79.4 percent from the free throw line. Santa Clara shot 38.7 percent from the field and 71.4 percent from the free throw line. Season tickets for the 2026-27 Utah State men's basketball season are currently sold out.
The Aggies will officially begin their 2026-27 campaign on Monday, Nov. 2, when they host Idaho State at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. The game is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off.
