Dec. 17, 2008

Final Stats

CEDAR CITY, Utah - Junior guard Jared Quayle scored a season-high 23 points, including 15 in the second-half to lead Utah State to a 72-65 road win at Southern Utah Wednesday night. USU improves to 7-1 on the season with the win, while Southern Utah falls to 3-7.

Utah State, who improved to 3-0 all-time against the Thunderbirds, has now won five straight regular season road games dating back to the 2007-08 campaign.

Leading 60-50 with 5:22 to play, Southern Utah went on a 10-3 run to get within 63-60 with 33 seconds remaining in the game, but Utah State responded by making 9-of-10 free throws down the stretch to hold off the home team. During the final 32 ticks of the clock, Quayle was 5-of-6 from the charity stripe and freshman guard Jaxon Myaer was 4-of-4. Utah State made just three field goals in the final 11:24, all by Quayle, who scored 11 of the Aggies final 16 points.

Utah State took its biggest lead of the second-half on a layup by Quayle to make the score 49-36 four minutes in. Southern Utah cut the Aggies advantage to six at 49-43 on a jumper by Davis Baker, but USU quickly pushed its lead back to nine on junior guard Stavon Williams' third three-pointer of the game with 11:55 remaining. Williams added four more points on a jumper and two free throws on USU's next two possessions to tie his season-high with 15 points.

Quayle scored five of Utah State's first seven points as the Aggies took an early 7-2 led. USU slowly extended its advantage and took its biggest lead of the game at 37-22 with just over a minute to go in the half on a three-point play from senior forward Gary Wilkinson. Wilkinson scored seven straight points and 11 of 13 for USU during one stretch and the Aggies went into the locker room up 12 at 37-25.

Wilkinson, who finished the game with 17 points and six rebounds, had 13 points and four boards at the half as USU shot 60.9 percent from the field (14-23). Defensively, the Aggies held Southern Utah to just 30.8 percent shooting (8-26), including 2-of-6 (.333) from three-point range.

Utah State finished the game by shooting 55.6 percent from the field (25-45), but just 4-of-14 (.286) from three-point range. USU was 18-of-22 (.818) from the charity stripe and out-rebounded SUU, 27-25.

Southern Utah shot 54.5 percent in the second-half (12-22), made 4-of-8 (.500) three-pointers, and was 12-of-13 (.905) from the free throw line as it out-scored the Aggies 40-35 in the final 20 minutes. SUU finished the game by shooting 41.7 percent overall (20-48) and 42.9 percent from behind the arc (6-14).

Dave Marek scored 21 points to lead Southern Utah, while Tyler Quinney had 20 points and seven rebounds. John Clifford added 14 points and seven boards for the Thunderbirds.

Utah State will return to action on Saturday, Dec. 20 when it plays at Idaho State (2-7) at 7 p.m. It will be the fourth straight game away from home for USU.