Wyoming sends Utah State coach Morrill into retirement

Utah State basketball coach Stew Morrill had hoped his coaching career would conclude with a dramatic run through the Mountain West tournament that would result in one final trip to the postseason.

Instead, the veteran coach will be headed to the beach.

Morrill’s storied career ended with a 67-65 loss to Wyoming in a quarterfinal game Thursday at the Thomas & Mack Center.

The league’s coaches presented Morrill, who announced earlier this season his intention to retire, with a gift of first-class airfare for two and accommodations at Atlantis in the Bahamas during a pregame ceremony.

The Cowboys weren’t as generous once the game started.

Josh Adams led four Wyoming starters in double figures with 19 points, and the Cowboys used a 12-0 run in the second half to turn a seven-point deficit into a 46-41 lead.

Utah State (18-13) rallied to tie the game at 51, but another 11-2 run put the Cowboys ahead for good.

Wyoming (23-9) missed some free throws late, allowing the Aggies to get back into the game. Jalen Moore’s 60-foot shot sailed over the basket as the buzzer sounded, however, marking the official end of Morrill’s career.

“I think the difference was about a stretch in the second half of about four or five possessions where they just got too good of shots,” Morrill said. “We couldn’t get them stopped during that stretch. Tough loss for us. Tough way to end the season.”

It was also a difficult end to a great coaching career. Morrill’s career spanned 29 years, the past 17 at Utah State, with his only losing record coming in a 14-17 season in his first year at Colorado State in 1991.

It’s possible the Aggies have done enough to get some type of postseason invitation. But Morrill said the team isn’t interested in playing in the College Basketball Invitational or the CollegeInsider.com Tournament.

“Our season is over at this point,” he said. “We had hoped to come in here and get to the championship game, obviously, try to win the tournament like every other team comes in here. At this point, we just feel like it’s best for these kids to concentrate on their academics and get ready for a new coach rather than play in any other events.

“We will not be pursuing those.”

Morrill isn’t completely out of the basketball business just yet. He said his son asked if he could coach his granddaughter’s team.

“I said I’d go to the game and cheer for her like hell, but I’m not calling a timeout, not even an 8-year-old game,” he said.

Morrill and his team will be headed back to Logan, at least until he takes his vacation.

“I must have been pretty easy to beat,” he said jokingly of his fellow coaches awarding him a parting gift. “That will be fun. I’m looking forward to new things and new challenges, mostly relaxing for a while.”

The Cowboys hope they still have plenty of games to play, starting with a 6 p.m. semifinal today against top-seeded Boise State (25-7).

The Broncos advanced with an 80-68 win over Air Force (14-17). Nick Duncan went 7 of 15 from 3-point range and scored 23 points for Boise State.

“I think the first one or two shots, if they go in, especially the second half, I go on a roll,” he said. “It’s a good feeling, they’re going through the hoop. Hopefully get another shot and do the same thing.”

Derrick Marks, the league’s player of the year, played only six minutes and didn’t score in the first half because of foul trouble.

But he came back to score 13 in the second half and help Boise State pull away down the stretch.

“I mean, it happens,” he said. “I wasn’t frustrated. That’s why it’s two halves of basketball. I can’t worry about the first half anymore. The second I just came ready to play, and we got the win.”

Colorado State (27-5) also advanced to today’s semifinals with a 71-59 victory over Fresno State (15-17).

The Rams will play San Diego State (25-7) at 8:30 p.m. today. The Aztecs eliminated UNLV 67-64.

Daniel Bejarano had 19 points and nine rebounds for the Rams, going 6-for-6 from the free-throw line.

Colorado State forward J.J. Avila, an all-league performer, suffered an ankle injury in the first half and did not return to the game.

Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow him on Twitter: @adamhilllvrj.