Kyisean Reed and Jared Shaw each put up a double-double, Utah State shot nearly 56 percent from the field and barely managed to withstand a furious second-half run by Nicholls State to win 79-72 in the World Vision Challenge on Thursday night.
Reed scored 20 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and blocked four shots. Shaw scored 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting and pulled 11 rebounds.
Utah State (7-1) led 54-33 after a dunk by Reed with 14:06 to play but that's when the Colonels mounted a comeback, going on a 35-17 tear capped off by a Dantrell Thomas' dunk to make it 71-68 with 2:21 remaining.
Thomas had 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Nicholls State (1-6) scored 17 points off 13 Aggie turnovers and shot an even 50 percent from the field in the second half, going 18 for 36.
T.J. Carpenter had 23 points to lead the Colonels and Fred Hunter had 17 points and 10 rebounds.
