Utah State Will Host Northwestern State in ESPN BracketBusters Game

Jan. 30, 2006

LOGAN, Utah — Utah State will host Northwestern State in the fourth annual BracketBusters presented by eBay at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. USU's contest against Northwestern State will be one of 13 games televised by ESPN.

 

ESPN will announce the date, time and network (ESPN, ESPN2, ESNPU, ESPN360) that will broadcast the game on Tue., Feb. 7. All 13 televised games will be played on either Fri., Feb. 17, or Sat., Feb. 18.

 

"This is our first time around being part of BracketBusters and the entire Western Athletic Conference has embraced this event and we're happy to be a part of it," said USU head coach Stew Morrill. "All my sources tell me we have a very tough opponent (in Northwestern State). Those that truly know basketball realize this is a team that won at Oklahoma State and is a very talented, well-coached team.

 

Northwestern State, which is located in Natchitoches, La., is 13-6 on the season and in first-place in the Southland Conference with a 6-1 league record. The Demons have recorded road wins against Mississippi State (76-75 ot) and Oklahoma State (68-64) this year, along with a neutral site win against Oregon State (72-61). Northwestern State is 0-1 against the Western Athletic Conference this year, as it lost at Hawai'i 80-76.

 

Utah State and Northwestern State will be meeting for the first time ever in February, and the game against the Demons will mark only the second time that USU has played a current member of the Southland Conference as it defeated Lamar 59-58 during the 1983-84 season.

 

All 10 Western Athletic Conference teams will be involved in this year's event. Other televised games involving WAC schools include: Akron at Nevada; Louisiana Tech at Southern Illinois; and Fresno State at Creighton.