Utah State seems to be a popular first-round upset pick every year, but they always come up just short.

With a senior-laden team and facing the inconsistent Wildcats, it seemed like it was a prime opportunity to pull an upset.

Instead, Utah State scored just 22 points in the first half and dug themselves an 11-point hole at halftime.

Utah State’s efficient offense lacks explosiveness, so it’s hard for them to overcome double-digit deficits.

Utah State was a trendy pick by some to spring the annual “12-5” upset in this year’s NCAA tournament. And while the Aggies made it a game late, they could not overcome a slow start.

Down 11 points at halftime, the No. 12 seed Aggies made a second-half run but fell short, falling to Kansas State 73-68 in the Southeast region in Denver.

Tai Wesley led Utah State with 18 points. Brockeith Pane added 17 points and Pooh Williams scored 16 points, including four 3-pointers.

Kansas State advances to face Wisconsin in the third round on Saturday, a berth in the Sweet 16 on the line. It looked like the Wildcats would cruise to an easy victory as they held a double-digit lead for most of the second half. The Aggies cut into the lead inside the final four minutes, but could not draw even.

Utah State finishes the season at 30-4. Kansas State improves to 23-10.

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The road to March has been relatively smooth for the Utah State Aggies. The time is now for all that hard work to pay off in a Western Athletic Conference championship.

Utah State capped the regular season on Saturday with a 72-30 blowout at Louisiana Tech. The Aggies, ranked No. 21 in the nation in the ESPN/USA Today national poll this week, capped the season with six consecutive victories.

At 28-3 overall and 15-1 in conference play, there is no denying the Aggies have put together a tremendous season. By virtue of winning the WAC regular-season title, the Aggies don’t hit the court until Friday’s quarterfinals of the conference tourney in Las Vegas.

The only two blemishes on Utah State’s schedule are a 68-51 loss to then No. 14 Georgetown on Dec. 4, and a 64-56 defeat Feb. 9 at Idaho, the Aggies’ only WAC loss this season.

Utah State won the regular-season title by five games over second-place Boise State.

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But now that they’re in, the Aggies face a similarly daunting prospect: Trying to beat the Big 12 powerhouse Texas A&M Aggies.

Few experts are giving Stew Morrill’s club much of a chance at knocking off Texas A&M, despite sporting one of the most efficient offenses in the nation that helped build a 17-game winning streak this season. And while it’s true that A&M isn’t an ideal matchup for the WAC regular season champs because of its size and athleticism (not to mention star guard Donald Sloan), Utah State is being sold far too short here.

The Aggies clean up the glass defensively and are one of the best shooting teams in the nation, hitting at a high clip from everywhere on the floor. Additionally, they refuse to let opponents dictate tempo, instead grinding games to a halt and forcing them to maximize possessions, something they can rarely do.

Some critics question whether Utah State belonged in the field at all. But expect them to be silenced after a good showing on Friday, and possibly even one of the first round’s biggest upsets.

The Aggies led virtually from start to finish, bosltered by a 32-18 scoring advantage in the post. One of the nation’s sweetest-shooting teams, they made 51 percent from the floor in front of a packed house, where they have now won 16 of their 17 games this season.

Once an afterthought for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, Utah State is making that decision much more difficult for the selection committe with each win, should it stumble in the WAC Tournament. The Aggies are now 22-6 and 11-2 in the conference, and has one of the most impressive nonconference wins of any teams in the country, a win over BYU.

As important, Utah State is also one of the country’s hottest teams. The win over Wichita State was its 12 straight, and with a road game at lowly Hawaii followed by two more home games to close out the season, that streak should hit 15.