By David Hawks
The men''s basketball team will go head to head with Utah State University tonight for the first of two games to add to the next chapter of a long history between the two in-state schools and nearly a century of memorable games.
The Cougars hope to rebound after an agonizing 76-74 defeat in Logan last year on last-second shot by Spencer Nelson. Utah State also won in 2001 in Logan, defeating BYU 90-81 in overtime.
In the 2001 game, BYU had a chance to win in regulation, but a finger roll layup by Daniel Bobik fell off the rim. The Aggies took charge in the overtime period, outscoring the Cougars 17-8 in the extra period.
Last year, Utah State took a 26-point lead into halftime, but BYU erased the deficit in the second half prior to Nelson''s game-winner.
The BYU-Utah State rivalry has grown more intense in recent years as Utah State''s program has received national recognition. In the 98-year history between the two, BYU has put together two 15-game winning streaks. The first spanned from 1906 to 1912 and the second was from 1986 to 1993.
Since ''93 however, BYU and USU have battled back and forth to gain the upper hand as both teams have typically taken care of business on their own home floors.
The last time BYU won in Logan was on Jan. 8, 2000 with an 82-73 victory. The following season, the Cougars narrowly defeated the Aggies 69-67 in one of many in-state classics as University of Utah transfer Trent Whiting scored a game-high 22 points for BYU and Mekeli Wesley made two free throws with eight seconds remaining to lead the Cougars to victory.
'I guess if anybody questioned why I started (Whiting) tonight, you probably know now,' head coach Steve Cleveland said following the 2000 game. 'He has been the best player in practice for four months. He is a competitor, and he adds a nice dimension to this ball club; something we haven''t had.'
Utah State and BYU will be meeting for the 221st time tonight, extending the oldest rivalry in USU and BYU history.
The Cougars currently have a 133-87 record against the Aggies, although Utah State has a 56-51 record edge at home against BYU. BYU has won four of the last six meetings and 21 of the last 25 games in the series
The rivalry dates back to Feb. 23, 1906, with BYU winning the first game of the series 21-14. The last time the Cougars defeated Utah State was on Dec. 14, 2002 in the Marriott Center with a 66-56 win.