March 2, 2004

LOGAN, Utah -

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Game #27#21 Utah State (24-2, 16-1) at Idaho (13-14, 9-8)Cowan Spectrum (7,000)*Moscow, IdahoMar. 5, 2004*8:05 p.m. (MST)*Aggie Radio Network
No. 21 Utah State Aggies (24-2, 16-1)
Probable Starters   Ht. Wt.     Cl. PPG RPG APGF   30  Jason Williams  6-7 198 Jr. 6.7 2.2 0.7F   32  Spencer Nelson  6-8 225 Jr. 10.6    7.9 2.8C   4   Nate Harris    6-7 225 So. 12.1    6.3 0.9^G   15  Cardell Butler  6-4 195 Sr. 14.2    3.0 2.0G   20  Mark Brown  5-10    150 Sr. 9.7 2.5 4.8
Off The BenchG   2   Quenton Harvey  6-2 175 Jr. 1.8 0.8 0.6G   21  Calvin Brown  5-10    160 Jr. 0.4 0.1 0.8G   23  Chris Huber    6-1 190 So. 4.0 1.2 1.9G   24  Tyler Williams  6-1 200 Jr. 1.0 0.0 0.0F   25  John Neil    6-6 210 R-Jr.   2.7 1.3 0.6C   31  Ian McVey    6-9 225 R-Jr.   1.8 1.7 0.3^C   42  Mike Ahmad  6-9 240     R-Sr.   6.4 4.0 0.7^F   44  Chad Evans  6-7 210 Sr. 1.3 1.3 0.1

Game Day Headlines
* Utah State is ranked 21st in the country in the latest ESPN/USA Today coaches poll and 23rd in the latest AP poll.

* Utah State is 39-20 (.661) on the road over the past five years and 41-29 (.586) on the road all-time under head coach Stew Morrill. In conference games, USU is 30-12 (.714) on the road over the last five years and 31-19 (.620) on the road in league play under Morrill. This year, USU is 9-2 on the road which includes a 7-1 mark in league play. The nine road wins by USU this year is tied for the second-most in school history, trailing only the 1959-60 team that won 11 road games.

* With a win against Idaho on Friday night, Utah State will claim at least a share of the Big West Championship. USU also won the regular season title in 2002 and 2000 under Morrill, while winning the tournament title in 2000, 2001 and 2003.

* Utah State has the fourth-best winning percentage in the country over the last five years (.804), trailing only Duke, Stanford and Gonzaga. USU is also tied for the fourth-most wins (127) in the country during that time period.

* Over the last five years, Utah State is 70-15 (.824) against the Big West during the regular season and 81-16 (.835) against the league overall.

* Utah State's 24 wins this year is tied for the third-most in school history, while the 16 conference wins is tied with the 1999-2000 team for the most in school history.

* Utah State is 18-8 (.692) during the month of March under Morrill. USU is also 12-1 (.923) in games played on Friday under Morrill, winning 12 straight. In fact, USU's only loss on Friday under Morrill was against Connecticut in the first round of the 2000 NCAA Tournament. USU is also 5-1 in known games played on March 5.

This Week
Utah State (24-2, 16-1) will conclude its regular season with a trip to Idaho (13-14, 9-8) on Fri., Mar. 5 at 8:05 p.m. (MST). USU is ranked 21st in the country in the latest ESPN/USA Today top 25 and 23rd in the AP top 25.

About Idaho
Idaho is 13-14 on the season and in third-place in the Big West with a 9-8 league record following a 65-63 loss at UC Irvine and a 60-56 win at Long Beach State last weekend. The Vandals, who are 9-3 at home this year, are led by senior forward Tyrone Hayes who is 11th in the league in scoring (13.1) and 13th in rebounding (5.7). Senior guard Dwayne Williams also averages in double-figures with 10.9 points per game. As a team, Idaho is averaging 63.7 points and is shooting 40.2 percent from the field, while its opponents average 63.6 points and is shooting 44.1 percent. The Vandals return three starters and eight lettermen from last year's team that went 13-15 overall and finished in fifth-place in the Big West with a 9-9 league record. Head coach Leonard Perry is in his third year as a collegiate head coach at Idaho and has an overall record of 35-48.

Utah State-Idaho Series
Utah State and Idaho will be meeting for the 32nd time this weekend with the Aggies holding a 20-11 all-time advantage, which includes a 9-5 road record. The first game played in the series was during the 1945-46 season with the Vandals recording a 55-33 win. The last time the two teams met was on Jan. 3, 2004 in Logan with USU notching a 69-56 victory. The last time the two teams played in Moscow was on Feb. 1, 2003 with USU recording a 60-56 win. Overall, USU has won 15 of the last 17 games played in the series. The last time Idaho won a game in the series was on Mar. 1, 2003 in Logan by a final score of 52-51. USU has also won four straight road games in the series and the last time Idaho won a home game against USU was on Jan. 23, 1999 by a final score of 77-58. USU head coach Stew Morrill is 10-2 against Idaho at USU and 13-12 against the Vandals all-time.

Next Week
Utah State will participate in the 2004 Big West Tournament in Anaheim, Calif. USU's first game in the tournament will be on Fri., Mar. 12 at either 7 or 9 p.m. (MST).

Last Meeting Between Utah State and Idaho
Cardell Butler scored a then career-high 28 points and Nate Harris added a then career-high 17 points to lead Utah State to a 69-56 victory against Idaho to open Big West Conference play on Jan. 3, 2004 in Logan, Utah. Butler hit a blistering 10-of-11 field goal attempts, including six-of-seven three-point attempts en route to scoring the most points by an Aggie since Desmond Penigar scored 29 against Weber State on Dec. 21, 2002. Butler's previous scoring best was 27 points against Idaho State in December. Harris meanwhile hit eight-of-10 shots for 17 points, while adding six rebounds. USU's next best scorers were Mike Ahmad and Mark Brown with six apiece. Idaho was led by Dwayne WIlliams, who had 11 points and Dandrick Jones, who scored 10. The Aggies shot 55.1 percent from the field while holding Idaho to just 39.3 percent shooting. The Aggies also out-rebounded the smaller Vandals 37-26. Spencer Nelson led the way with a then season-high 12 rebounds, including nine in the first half. Idaho held its last lead of the game at 17-14 before USU built the margin to 36-27 at halftime. USU then pushed its advantage to 22 points at the 12:04 mark with a Mike Ahmad layup that made the score 55-33. While USU hit 55.1 percent of its field goal attempts and seven-of-14 three-point attempts, the Aggies made just eight-of-16 free throw attempts.

Last Meeting Between The Aggies And Vandals In Moscow
Desmond Penigar scored a career road-high 26 points on 10-of-16 shooting to go along with eight rebounds to lead Utah State to a 60-56 road win at Idaho on Feb. 1, 2003. Penigar scored 17 second-half points for the Aggies, including seven of the team's final 10 to hold off the Vandals. Idaho had an early six-point lead in the game at 13-7 and was up three at 21-18 before USU closed the half with a 11-6 run to take a 29-27 advantage at the break. The Aggies extended to a six-point lead at 38-32 with 14:48 remaining and was up seven with just over four minutes remaining before Idaho cut the lead to two at 56-54 with 1:01 remaining. Penigar sealed the game for USU with a baseline jumper, two free throws and a steal in the final minute to give Utah State the four point win. Tyrone Hayes led Idaho with 20 points, while Jon Tinnon added 14. The Vandals shot 48.8 percent for the game as compared to 47.9 percent for USU, but the Aggies recorded seven more assists (17-10) and four fewer turnovers (13-17), while out-rebounding Idaho by two (28-26).

Utah State-Idaho Connections
Junior forward Spencer Nelson was the Idaho A-1 Player of the Year as a prep senior in 1998 at Pocatello High School as he averaged 22.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.0 blocks per game... Senior guard/forward Cardell Butler played at the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls where he earned honorable mention all-conference and all-region honors as a sophomore... Idaho head coach Leonard Perry was an assistant coach at USU from 1996-98 under former UI head coach Larry Eustachy... Anton Lyons of Idaho played with Jason Williams of Utah State at Santa Rosa (Calif.) Junior College... Both players reside from Vallejo, Calif.

USU 21st In ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll & 23rd In AP Poll
Utah State's 24-2 men's basketball team is ranked 21st in the country in the latest ESPN/USA Today coaches poll released on Monday and 23rd in the latest AP poll. Utah State entered the AP's top 25 on Feb. 2 for the first time in 33 years as the Aggies were listed 24th in the country. USU entered the coaches poll on Feb. 9 for the first time since 1978 season with a ranking of 23rd in the country. Prior to this year, the last time USU was listed in an AP poll was March 9, 1971 when the Aggies were 16th. USU was not ranked in the final poll that season. USU's last national ranking by a major poll (prior to this year) was 17th by the United Press International in 1978. The Aggies have become the first Big West Conference team to be included in the national rankings since New Mexico State was listed 24th by the Associated Press and 19th by the coaches in January of 1995. New Mexico State is also the last Big West team to be ranked this high by the AP, as NMSU was ranked 19th by the AP in January of 1995. The 1971 Aggies were coached by Ladell Andersen and went 20-7 and reached the NCAA Tournament as an independent. USU lost its first round game 91-82 to Brigham Young in Andersen's final game as coach. The Aggies were led that year by Marvin Roberts, who averaged 20.8 points, 11.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. The 1978 Aggie team was 21-7 under Dutch Belnap and reached the National Invitational Tournament, where USU dropped a 67-66 decision to Nebraska in the first round. Mike Santos led the team in scoring at 18.3 points and rebounding at 8.8 rebounds.

Utah State's 24 Wins Among The Best In The Country
Utah State is tied with three other teams for the third-most wins in the country. St. Joseph's leads the nation with 26 wins, while Stanford, Gonzaga, Pittsburgh and Murray State all have 25 wins. Utah State, Duke, Southern Illinois and East Tennessee State all have 24 wins.

Utah State Records 20 Wins For Fifth Straight Season
Utah State has produced five straight 20-win seasons, extending its school record. The previous school record was three straight 20-win seasons from 1962-64. Overall, it is the 19th time in school history that USU has won 20-plus games. The 24 wins for USU this year is tied for the third-most in school history.

USU One Of Three Schools To Notch Five Straight 23-Win Seasons
Including this season, Utah State is one of just three schools across the country to record at least five straight 23-win seasons, joining Duke and Gonzaga. Teams who had at least four straight 23-win seasons entering this year were Arizona, Butler, Creighton, Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas, Oklahoma, Tulsa, Syracuse and USU.

Aggies' Streaks Come To An End
With its 64-60 loss at Pacific last weekend, Utah State saw its 17-game winning streak snapped. That 17-game winning streak was the second-longest in school history, and the fourth-longest in the country this year. USU had also won 17 straight games against Big West opponents, which was the seventh-longest in league history. The Aggies had also won six straight road games which was the second-longest streak in school history, and 17 straight against teams from the state of California.

Aggies In The NCAA Statistics
As of Feb. 24, Utah State is second in the nation in the fewest personal fouls committed per game (14.4) and third in field goal percentage (51.5), trailing Oklahoma State (52.0) and Gonzaga (51.7). USU is also fifth in the country in winning percentage (.917), seventh in scoring defense (57.2), ninth in rebounding margin (+7.5), 11th in three-point field goal percentage (40.2), 13th in scoring margin (+12.9), and 18th in fewest turnovers committed per game (12.6).

Versus The Big West Conference
Utah State is the only team in the Big West Conference to have a winning record against every other team in the league. Overall, USU is 219-119 (.648) versus current members of the Big West Conference.

Scouting The Utah State Offense
Utah State is leading the Big West in field goal percentage (51.5) and three-point shooting (39.9), and is sixth in free-throw percentage (70.5)... USU has made 79 more free throws (373) than its opponents have attempted (294)... USU is averaging 69.6 points which is fourth in the league... USU has out-scored its opponents 33.8 to 25.9 in the first half... USU is averaging 18.5 points (481) and 10.3 rebounds (267) per game from its bench, while its opponents are getting 16.4 points (427) and 7.0 rebounds (182) per game... USU is also first in the league in scoring margin (+12.8), rebound margin (+6.8) and assists (15.54)... Over its last six games, USU is shooting 55.2 percent from the field and 46.9 percent from three-point range... USU has shot over 50 percent from the field in five of its last six games... In its previous five games, USU shot 44.5 percent... USU is shooting 66.9 percent from the free throw line in league, but shot 77.0 percent during the non-conference season... USU is averaging just 7.6 assists over its last two games... USU has had a player score 20-plus points 12 times this year.

Scouting The Utah State Defense
Utah State is first in the Big West in scoring defense (56.8) and three-point field goal defense (31.2), and second in overall field goal defense (41.2)... USU is averaging 33.4 rebounds per game and allowing only 26.6 for a rebounding margin of plus 6.8 per contest, which is the best in the Big West... USU has blocked 77 shots this year, which is fourth in the league (2.96 bpg)... USU is committing 14.46 fouls per game... USU is ninth in the league in steals per game (5.19)... Over the last three games, USU's opponents are shooting 38.8 percent from the field and 32.8 percent from three-point range...USU has been out-rebounded just seven times this season and is 19-0 when it out-rebounds its opponent... Over the last five games, USU's opponents are shooting 43.2 percent from the field and 34.7 percent from three-point range... USU is averaging 8.8 turnovers over its last five games.

Utah State Among The Best In The Country
Over the last five years, Utah State has been one of the best basketball programs in the country, recording a 127-31 (.804) record. Those 127 wins are tied for the fourth-most in the country, while the 80.4 percent winning percentage is the fourth-best. USU has also been among the top-13 teams in the country in points allowed in each of the last four seasons, and is just one of seven teams in the country to participate in it's conference's post-season tournament championship game in each of the last four years.

Aggies In The Big West Conference
Utah State has had unparalleled success in the Big West Conference over the last four years, winning two regular season conference championships, three tournament championships, and advancing to four straight postseason tournaments (NCAA-3, NIT-1). Over the last four years, USU leads the Big West in overall titles won with five, postseason appearances with four, and all-conference selections with seven. USU has also dominated the conference's post-season tournament with an amazing 11-1 record over the last four years.

Aggie Player Notes
#2 Quenton Harvey - All but two of his 13 field goals on the season are from three-point range... Has attempted just three free throws... Averaging 1.8 points per game and shooting 34.4 percent from three-point range... Is 1-12 from three-point range in his last 13 games.

#4 Nate Harris - Shooting 69.5 percent from the field, 68.4 percent from the free-throw line and averaging 12.1 points and 6.3 rebounds... Is second on the team in scoring and rebounding, and first in field goal percentage... Ranks first in the Big West in field goal percentage, seventh in blocks (0.92) and eighth in rebounding... Is averaging 10.2 points and 5.2 rebounds, while shooting 67.9 percent in his last five games.

#15 Cardell Butler - Is leading the team in scoring at 14.2 points per game, while shooting 49.8 percent from the field, 44.2 percent from three-point range and 87.0 percent from the free throw line... Is second on the team in minutes played with 29.7... Ranks second in the Big West Conference in free-throw percentage and three-point field goal percentage, sixth in field goal percentage and seventh in scoring... Is averaging 18.4 points and shooting 52.5 percent from the field and 50.0 percent from three-point range in the last five games.

#20 Mark Brown - Leads the Big West in assists (4.85) and three-point field goal percentage (.444), is second in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.75) and 10th in free throw percentage (.756)... Is fourth on the team in scoring (9.7) and first in minutes played (31.3)... Shooting 43.5 percent from the field... Is averaging 13.4 points and 4.9 assists in his last nine games, while shooting 54.2 percent from the field, 54.5 percent from three-point range and 80.6 percent from the free throw line.

#21 Calvin Brown - Has appeared in 11 games this year, and is averaging 0.8 assists in 3.1 minutes per game.

#23 Chris Huber - Is averaging 2.0 points and 1.4 assists over his last five games, while shooting 15.4 percent from the field and 22.2 percent from three-point range... Shooting 37.5 percent from the field and 34.3 percent from three-point range on the season... Averaging 4.0 points and 1.9 assists per game on the year.

#25 John Neil - Averaging 2.4 points over his last five games, while shooting 50.0 percent from the field... Shooting 48.3 percent overall and averaging 2.7 points.

#30 Jason Williams - Is averaging 6.7 points and 2.2 rebounds in 22.1 minutes per game... Shooting 42.6 percent from the field, 34.4 percent from three-point range and 78.6 percent from the free throw line on the season... Averaging 7.0 points and 1.6 rebounds, while shooting 58.3 percent from the field in his last five games.

#31 Ian McVey - Shooting 66.7 percent from the field and averaging 1.8 points and 1.7 rebounds in 6.2 minutes per game.

#32 Spencer Nelson - Is leading the team in rebounding at 7.9 per game and is third in scoring at 10.6... Shooting 58.5 percent from the field and 71.9 percent from the free throw line... Is second on the team with 66 assists... Ranks second in the Big West in rebounding... Is averaging 9.3 points and 8.2 rebounds since returning from his broken nose, while shooting 54.2 percent in 10 games... Prior to his injury, he was averaging 11.6 points and 7.7 rebounds, while shooting 60.6 percent from the field... In his last four games he is averaging 11.0 points and 6.0 rebounds, while shooting 70.0 percent from the field.

#42 Mike Ahmad - Averaging 6.4 points and 4.0 rebounds per game, while shooting 58.0 percent from the field... Averaging 5.6 points and 3.4 boards over his last five games, while shooting 61.1 percent.

#44 Chad Evans - Averaging 1.3 points and 1.3 rebounds in 7.3 minutes per game... Shooting 52.6 percent from the field.

Butler Doing It All In His Senior Season
Senior guard/forward Cardell Butler is putting together an outstanding season without a lot of recognition. Through 26 games, Butler is leading the team in scoring (14.2) and free throw shooting (87.0), and is second in three-point shooting (44.2) and minutes played (29.7). Butler also ranks in the top seven in the Big West in scoring, free throw shooting, three-point field goal percentage, and field goal percentage (49.8). Butler has also scored in double-figures in four of his last five games. Furthermore, he has scored in double-figures 15 times this year and leads the team with five 20-point games, but has yet to earn Player of the Week (POW) honors. USU has received five POW honors this year as Nate Harris won the award three straight weeks, joining Spencer Nelson and Mark Brown who won the award once each. In his last five games, Butler is averaging 18.4 points and 3.2 rebounds, while shooting 52.5 percent from the field and 50.0 percent from three-point range.

Butler Among All-Time Top-10 Three-Point Shooters
Cardell Butler ranks among the top three-pointer shooters all-time at Utah State as he is 83-189 (.439) from behind the arc. Those 83 made threes rank eighth all-time at USU, while his 189 attempts rank ninth. He also ranks third all-time in three-point field goal percentage, while his 44.2 percent shooting this year ranks fifth.

Brown Finishing His Senior Year In Style
Senior point guard Mark Brown is finishing his senior year in style and has been on fire over his last nine games as he is averaging 13.4 points and 4.9 assists per game, while shooting 54.2 percent from the field and 54.5 percent from three-point range. Brown has scored in double-figures in seven of his last nine games and leads the Big West Conference in three-point field goal percentage at 44.4 percent. Over his last seven games, Brown is 14-of-24 (.583) from three-point range.

Brown Moving Up Career Assist Charts
With his 126 assists thus far this year, senior point guard Mark Brown now has 275 assists during his Utah State career, which ranks 12th all-time. Brown is now just eight assists shy of moving ahead of Jeff O. Anderson (1985-88) who had 282 assists. Brown's 4.66 assists per game during his career at USU also ranks second all-time trailing only Oscar Williams who averaged 6.0 assists per game from 1975-78. His 126 assists this year ranks 17th on the single-season charts and his 61 made three-pointers during his career is just one shy of entering the top-ten all-time.

Harris Leading The Big West In Field Goal Percentage
Sophomore forward Nate Harris is leading the Big West Conference in field goal percentage, shooting 69.5 percent on the season (123-177). The school record for field goal percentage is 62.2 percent by Greg Housekeeper during the 1988-89 season, while the Big West record is 69.5 percent by Mike Atkinson of Long Beach State during the 1993-94 season.

Harris Seems To Enjoy Starting
Sophomore forward Nate Harris seems to enjoy starting, as he has put up monster numbers over the last 12 games. In his first game as a starter, he scored 22 points at Cal State Fullerton and then scored a new career-high with 25 points at UC Riverside. He also recorded his first career double-double with a career-high 26 points to go along with 11 rebounds against Long Beach State. During his 12-game stretch, starting 11 games, Harris is averaging 14.5 points and 7.3 rebounds, while shooting 70.7 percent from the field. He has also scored in double-figures in 10 of those 12 games and has notched three double-doubles.

Nelson Finally Adjusting To Life Behind A Mask
Junior forward Spencer Nelson seems to finally be adjusting to his mask that he wears to protect his broken nose suffered on Jan. 20. In his first six games after his injury, Nelson was averaging 8.2 points and 9.7 rebounds per game, but shooting just 42.9 percent from the field. In his past four games, Nelson is 14-20 from the field (.700) and averaging 11.0 points and 6.0 rebounds. Prior to his injury, Nelson was averaging 11.6 points and 7.7 rebounds, while shooting 60.6 percent from the field.

Nelson Among All-Time Leaders In Rebounding
Junior forward Spencer Nelson has 527 career rebounds to rank 18th all-time at Utah State with Lafayette Love (1971-73) and Tim Tollestrup (1968-70). He needs 11 rebounds to move ahead of Jim Boatwright (1972-74) who had 537 career rebounds.

Recapping The Long Beach State Game
Cardell Butler scored 23 points to lead 23rd-ranked Utah State to a 67-47 victory over Long Beach State Thursday night at The Pyramid. Utah State improved to 23-2 overall and 15-1 in the Big West Conference with the win, while the 49ers fell to 6-18 on the season and 4-11 in the league with its seventh straight loss. Butler, who scored nine of the Aggies' first 10 points, went 8-for-8 from the free throw line. He also had three three-pointers and grabbed a season-high six rebounds. Utah State was 15-of-17 from the foul line, while Long Beach State was just 2-of-6. Kevin Roberts and Marcel Jackson each had 10 points for the 49ers. Spencer Nelson's layup capped Utah State's 15-0 run late in the second half as the Aggies held the 49ers scoreless for almost eight minutes to put the game away. Long Beach tied the game on Kevin Robert's layup at 33-33 with 17:09 left, but the Aggies went on a 6-0 run. The 49ers then pulled within one at 39-38 when Lucian Graham drained a three-pointer, but Utah State scored the next nine points. Long Beach led for most of the game's first six minutes, but Mark Brown's jumper gave the Aggies a 12-10 lead with 12:10 remaining in the half. Utah State led 29-23 at halftime despite shooting just 34.8 percent from the field in the period. For the game, USU shot 51.1 percent from the field, including 66.7 percent in the second half, while LBSU shot just 34.5 percent for the game.

Recapping The UC Irvine Game
Mark Brown scored 17 points and Spencer Nelson added 14 to lead 23rd-ranked Utah State to a 59-56 victory over UC Irvine Saturday night in front of 4,210 at the Bren Events Center. The win enabled the Aggies (24-2, 16-1 Big West Conference) to maintain their half-game conference lead over second-place Pacific. UC Irvine (11-15, 6-10) held a 38-37 lead when Utah State used an 11-2 run to move ahead 48-40 with 7:41 to play. The Anteaters closed to 55-53 with 1:47 remaining, but Brown made a driving jumper and two free throws to extend the Aggies' lead to 59-53 with 48.4 seconds left. UC Irvine had a chance to force overtime after Ross Schraeder made a three-pointer with 38.4 seconds to play and Brown missed two free throws with 15.6 seconds left. But Schraeder missed a three-pointer at the buzzer and UC Irvine lost for the ninth time in 11 games. Schraeder scored a game-high 20 points off the bench, while Stanislav Zuzak added 12. Utah State made eight-of-13 field-goal attempts and 15-of-20 free throws in the second half, but were just four-of-eight from the charity stripe in the final 3:54. Nate Harris added 12 points and five rebounds for the Aggies, while Adam Parada had nine points and a game-high 10 rebounds for the Anteaters. USU finished the game shooting 52.9 percent from the field and 61.5 percent in the second-half, while UCI shot 44.9 percent for the game after hitting just 30.8 percent of its shots in the first half. UC Irvine out-rebounded USU 28-20, but was just five-of-eight from the free throw line.

Aggie Notes / Player Notes
* Utah State is 16-1 on the season and 69-6 under head coach Stew Morrill when holding its opponents below 60 points. USU is also 7-0 on the year when holding its opponents below 50 points.

* Utah State is 19-1 on the season and 106-8 over the last five years when leading at the half, and 4-1 on the season and 18-22 over the last five years when trailing at the half.

* Nate Harris has scored in double-figures in 10 of his last 12 games... On the season he has scored in double-figures a team-leading 18 times and has 24 double-figure scoring games in his career.

* Mark Brown has scored in double-figures 12 times this year, and in seven of his last nine games... Brown now has 25 career double-figure scoring games.

* Spencer Nelson has four double-doubles on the year to lead the team and has scored in double-figures 13 times this season and 32 times in his career... He has also produced four double-digit rebounding games in his last nine contests.

* Cardell Butler has scored in double-figures in four of his last five games and in 15 games this season.

* Utah State has shot over 50 percent from the field 15 times this season and in each of their last four games.

* Over the last five years, Utah State is 68-14 (.829) against teams from the state of California, which includes a 37-2 (.949) home record and a 23-11 (.676) road record.

* Utah State is 22-5 (.815) over the last five years following a loss and 27-12 (.692) following a loss under Morrill. The last time USU lost two games in a row was during the 2002-03 season when they lost at UC Riverside and to Idaho. Overall, USU has had just five two-game losing streaks in the last five years and hasn't lost three games in a row since the 1998-99 season, Morrill's first.

Aggie Fans Pack The Spectrum
On the season, Utah State averaged 8,431 fans per game and 9,899 fans over its last six home games. Overall, USU had four sell-outs this year which is a new single-season school record. USU's average attendance of 8,431 fans is also the second-best in school history, trailing only the 1970-71 season (the first year of the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum) which averaged 8,811.

Aggies' Extend Home Court Winning Streak To 17 Games
Utah State has now won 17 straight home games at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum dating back to last season (15-0 this year), and that 17-game home winning streak is tied for the eighth-longest in the country as of Mar. 2. USU's longest winning streak ever at home was from 2000-2002 when those Aggie teams won 34 straight. The 2003-04 team became just the fourth in school history to go undefeated at home.

Aggies Seldom Lose At Home
Utah State is 82-7 at home under head coach Stew Morrill, and those seven losses at home under Morrill have been by a total of 24 points (3.4 points per loss), with four of those losses being by one point. The worst loss by USU at home under Morrill was an 82-73 loss to BYU on Jan. 8, 2000.

Aggies At Home
Under head coach Stew Morrill, Utah State is 84-7 (.923) in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum and 47-4 (.922) at home against the Big West. Over the past eight years, Aggie teams have won 112 of their last 121 home games (.926) and 65 of their last 69 home games (.942) against the Big West. Overall, USU has won 17 straight at home, which is tied for the seventh-longest streak in the country. In league, USU has won 11 straight at home. Overall, USU is 378-100 (.791) all-time in the Spectrum.

Aggies Record Fourth Straight Big West Honor - Fifth Overall
Utah State won four straight Big West Player of the Week honors earlier this year, with sophomore forward Nate Harris notching three straight from Jan. 19 to Feb. 2, and junior forward Spencer Nelson receiving the honor on Jan. 12 as he averaged 15.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.5 blocks per game in leading USU to a pair of road wins at UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly. Senior guard Mark Brown also won the award on Dec. 1 after averaging 15.5 points, 7.5 assists and 2.0 rebounds per game in wins over Weber State and Illinois State. Those five Big West Player of the Week honors by Utah State is the most ever received by an Aggie team in school history. The previous single-season best was four weekly individual honors received by the 1994-95 and 2001-02 teams.

Harris Named Big West Conference Player Of The Week, Again
Sophomore forward Nate Harris (Smithfield, Utah) was named the Big West Conference Player of the Week for the third straight time it was announced on Mon., Feb. 2. Harris becomes the first league player to earn three consecutive Big West honors since Pacific's Michael Olowokandi earned the honor the last three weeks of the 1998 season. Harris also becomes the third player in USU history to earn the league honor three times in a season as Eric Franson (1995) and Desmond Penigar (2002) also accomplished that feat. However, It is the first time in school history that a USU player has won the award three straight times. Harris' latest honor came after he averaged 19.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.0 steals, 1.5 assists and 1.5 blocks, while shooting 70.0 percent to led USU to a pair of home wins over UC Irvine and Long Beach State. He scored a career-high 26 points and notched his first career double-double with 11 rebounds in just 24 minutes of play in the Aggies' 84-46 win against the 49ers. He also had 12 points, five rebounds, three steals and two blocks in the Aggies' 57-48 win against UC Irvine. Harris earned co-Big West Conference Player of the Week honors along with UC Irvine's Adam Parada on Jan. 19, as he came off the bench to average 12.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks while shooting 64.3 percent in USU's wins against Pacific and Cal State Northridge. Against UOP he had 15 points, seven rebounds and a career-high four blocks. Against CSN he had nine points, a game-high seven rebounds and two blocks in just 19 minutes. Harris' second Player of the Week honor came on Jan. 26 after leading USU to a pair of road wins at Cal State Fullerton and UC Riverside. During the week, Harris moved into a starting role in place of the injured Spencer Nelson and averaged 23.5 points and 7.5 rebounds while shooting 76.0 percent from the field. Against CSF he scored a career-high 22 points and then bettered that with 25 points against UCR.

Sagarin Ratings And RPI
With its 23-2 record on the season against Division I opponents, Utah State has a sagarin rating of 32nd in the country and an RPI of 39th.

Aggie Game To Be Televised On KJZZ-TV
Utah State's semi-final game on Fri., Mar. 12 in the 2004 Big West Tournament in Anaheim, Calif., will be carried by KJZZ-TV. If USU plays at 7 p.m. (MST) the game will be tape-delayed and air at approximately 9:30 p.m. (MST). If USU plays at 9 p.m. (MST) the game will be aired live. Utah State would play the early game on Fri., Mar. 12 at the Big West Tournament if it is the number one seed, or the late game if it is the number two seed. The Big West Tournament championship game will be televised by ESPN and begin at 10:00 p.m. (MST).

Aggies Tie School Record For Conference Wins
With its 16-1 conference record this year, the 2003-04 team is tied with the 1999-2000 squad for the most conference wins in school history. The '99-'00 team went 16-0 in the Big West.

Utah State Getting To The Line, Often
Since going just 6-of-13 from the free throw line at Pacific and allowing the Tigers to convert 13-of-15 free throws, Utah State has been going to the line a lot more often than its opponents. Over the last four games, USU is 67-101 (.663) from the charity stripe, while its opponents are just 17-27 (.630). Over the last four games, USU has made 50 more free throws and attempted 74 more free throws than its opponents.

Aggies Rolling Offensively
Utah State has been nearly impossible to guard over its last six games, shooting 55.2 percent from the field and 46.9 percent from three-point range, while shooting over 50 percent in five of those six games. Over its last three games, USU is shooting 57.8 percent from the field and 51.2 percent from three-point range.

Holding On To The Rock
Utah State has taken very good care of the ball since committing a season-high 26 turnovers at Cal State Northridge. In its last five games, USU is averaging only 8.8 turnovers per game.

Aggies Finish On The Road
Since joining the Big West Conference prior to the 1978-79 season, Utah State is 4-6 in road games to end the regular season and 0-2 in such games under head coach Stew Morrill.

Aggies Give Up 20 For Just The Fourth Time This Year
UC Irvine's Ross Schraeder scored 20 points against Utah State on Saturday night, marking just the fourth time this year that an opponent has scored 20 or more points on the Aggies, joining Slobodan Ocokoljic of Weber State (22), Neil Plank of Illinois State (21) and Varnie Dennis of Cal Poly (20).

Aggies Not Dominating The Boards As Of Late
Traditionally Utah State has been one of the best rebounding teams in the country, but over the last five games USU has been out-rebounded three times and has a rebound margin of -1.4 in those games. Over the last five years, USU has been out-rebounded just 39 times and is 27-12 in those games.

Aggies On A Roll
Utah State has won 21 of its last 22 games against Big West opponents and 27 of its last 30 games overall dating back to last season.

Aggies Looking For Yet Another Regular Season Championship
Utah State will be looking to win its third regular season Big West Championship in the last five years under head coach Stew Morrill. With a win at Idaho Friday night, USU will win at least a share of the Big West title, as Pacific is 15-1 in league play with two home games remaining this weekend. Overall, USU has won six regular season league championships since joining the Big West prior to the 1978-79 season (1979-80, 1994-95, 1996-97, 1997-98, 1999-2000, and 2001-02).

Aggies Trends
Utah State is 21-0 this year when they shoot better from the field than its opponent; 20-0 when they commit fewer fouls than its opponent; 19-0 when their starting back-court outscores the opponents starting back-court; 16-0 when their bench outscores its opponents bench; 21-1 when they have more assists than its opponent; 19-0 when they have more defensive rebounds than its opponents; and 12-0 when they shoot better from the free throw line than its opponents.

Utah State Clinches First Or Second Seed At Big West Tournament
With its 16-1 league record and 1/2 game lead over Pacific (15-1), Utah State has clinched one of the top two seeds for the upcoming 2004 Big West Tournament in Anaheim, Calif., from Mar. 10-13. USU's first game in the Big West Tournament will be on Fri., Mar. 12 at either 7 or 9 p.m. (MST).

Big West Tournament Tickets On Sale
The Big West Conference men's basketball tournament will take place at the Anaheim Convention Center Arena for the fourth consecutive year and ninth overall. The Anaheim Convention Center previously hosted the tournament from 1977-82. The tournament will run from Wed., Mar. 10 through Sat., Mar. 13 with the championship game being televised live on ESPN at 10 p.m. (MST). For all-session tickets call the USU Ticket Office at 1-888-USTATE-1 or the Anaheim Convention Center box office at (714) 765-8980.

Head Coach Stew Morrill
Stew Morrill (Gonzaga, 1974) is in his sixth season at the helm of the Utah State men's basketball program after posting five straight 20-win seasons and guiding the Aggies to four straight postseason appearances. In his six years at USU, he had an incredible 140-44 record, which is the best record by any coach at Utah State during that time span. Over the past four years, Morrill has coached six first-team all-league players in Shawn Daniels (twice), Troy Rolle, Bernard Rock, Tony Brown and Desmond Penigar (twice). In his first five years at USU, he has had over a 90 percent graduation rate. He has been involved in postseason action seven times in his career, including the NCAA Tournament at Utah State in 2000, 2001 and 2003, and the National Invitation Tournament in 2002. He has been named Coach of the Year three times, winning the award in 1991 at Montana, and in 2000 and 2002 at Utah State. He is only the third coach in the history of the Big West Conference to go undefeated in the league, as he led the 1999-2000 squad to a perfect 19-0 league record, joining Lou Henson and Jerry Tarkanian. Prior to coming to Utah State, Morrill had been the head coach at Colorado State University for seven seasons, recording a 121-86 record (1992-98). Prior to his stint at CSU, Morrill spent five seasons as the head coach at the University of Montana (1987-91), where he went 97-52. During his 18 years as a head coach, Morrill's teams have won at least 20 games nine times and have won at least 17 games in 15 of his 18 seasons as a head coach. He was the second winningest coach at Colorado State behind only Boyd Grant.