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Utah State’s Collins Jr.Shatters Charleston Classic Record in Dominant Championship Victory
Utah State senior guard MJ Collins Jr. delivered a historic performance, scoring a Charleston classic tournament-record 40 points to lead the aggies to a decisive 94-60 victory over Davidson on Sunday evening at TD Arena. The win secured USU the LowCountry bracket title and marked Collins Jr.’s return to his home state with a resounding statement.
Collins Jr., a South Carolina native, was named tournament Most Valuable Player for his remarkable play throughout the Classic. His 40-point outing surpassed the previous tournament record of 34 points. He exploded for 22 points after the break, all in just 28 minutes of play. He connected on 14 of 19 field goal attempts,8 of 12 from beyond the arc,and a perfect 4-for-4 at the free throw line. His eight 3-pointers are tied for the third-most in a single game in Aggie program history.
The contest, featuring two previously undefeated teams entering the night, saw Utah State quickly establish control, building a 10-point lead within the first six minutes. Despite early foul trouble – the Aggies were called for eight fouls in the opening nine minutes – they maintained their composure. A 7-0 run by Davidson briefly narrowed the gap to a single point, but Utah State responded with an 11-0 run of their own to regain momentum.
Collins Jr. then ignited another Aggie surge with back-to-back 3-pointers from the same spot in the corner, sparking a 12-0 run that effectively closed out the first half. At halftime, Utah State held a commanding 48-30 advantage.
the second half witnessed an expansion of the Aggies’ lead, reaching a peak of 37 points fueled by a personal 13-2 run by Collins Jr. in the final minutes. The Davidson offense struggled to find answers against a relentless Utah State defense.
The Aggie defense proved pivotal, forcing 19 turnovers and recording 15 steals – tied for the fourth-most in program history. Graduate guard Drake Allen lead the defensive effort with five steals, contributing 12 points, five rebounds, and seven assists. Junior guard Mason Falslev added four steals to the defensive tally.
Utah State’s shooting performance was equally impressive, with the team converting 59.3% of their field goal attempts (35-of-59),46.2% from 3-point range (12-of-26), and 85.7% from the free throw line (12-of-14). Davidson,in contrast,shot 39.6% from the field (21-of-53), 26.9% from beyond the arc (7-of-26), and 64.7% from the charity stripe (11-of-17).
Collins Jr. averaged an impressive 30.5 points and 3.5 assists across Utah State’s two games in Charleston, solidifying his MVP selection.
This championship marks Utah State’s fourth MTE tournament title in the last five years, adding to their victories at the Myrtle Beach Invitational (2021-22), the Cayman Islands Classic (2023-24), and the ESPN NIT Season Tip-Off (2024-25).
Looking ahead, Utah state will return home to host Montana State at dee Glen Smith Spectrum on Saturday, November 29, at 2 p.m. The game will be streamed on the Mountain West network and broadcast locally on KMYU.
Season tickets for the 2025-26 men’s basketball season are currently sold out. Single-game tickets for remaining games are available here, and a waitlist for the 2026-27 season is open here.
For the latest information on Utah State men’s basketball, fans can follow the Aggies on Facebook at usumensbasketball, on X (formerly Twitter) at @usubasketball, and on Instagram at @usubasketball. Highlights from USU men’s basketball can also be found on YouTube at youtube.com/utahstateathletics.
-USU
