Dec. 20, 2008

Final Stats

POCATELLO, Idaho - Junior guard Jared Quayle scored 11 points to lead a quarter of double-figure scorers for Utah State as it notched its fourth road win of the season with a 67-57 victory at Idaho State Saturday night. USU is now 8-1 on the year and has won 10 straight games against ISU. The Bengals fall to 2-8 with the loss.

Quayle also added a season-high four assists and tied his season-high with seven rebounds for Utah State. Junior guard Stavon Williams came off the bench to score 11 points for the Aggies, while sophomore guard Tyler Newbold also scored 11 to go along with four assists. Sophomore forward Tai Wesley finished with 10 points and five rebounds, while senior forward Gary Wilkinson just missed recording his second double-double of the season as he posted nine points and a game-high 11 rebounds.

Lucas Steijn had 15 points for Idaho State to lead all scorers, but was the only Bengal to finish in double-figures.

Sophomore guard Pooh Williams scored the first two points of the game via a dunk and then hit his first three-pointer of the season to give Utah State an early 7-2 advantage. Idaho State cut the Aggies lead to one on three separate occasions only to see the visitors push the margin to 10 at 29-19 on a baseline jumper by Wilkinson with 6:00 minutes to play in the half. ISU responded with an 8-2 run to get within four, but Newbold drained a three-pointer to give the visitors a 34-27 lead at the break.

In the first-half, Utah State shot just 40.6 percent from the field (13-32), but made 6-of-16 three-pointers (.375). Idaho State shot 44.0 percent in the first twenty minutes (11-25), but was out-rebounded 19-13, as the Aggies had eight offensive boards in the first-half.

Utah State took its biggest lead of the game at 52-37 with 12:39 to play as Wilkinson hit a 17-foot jumper. Idaho State tried to claw its way back into the game and got within six points at 63-57 with 26 seconds to play, but USU finished the game by going 4-of-4 from the charity stripe as Newbold hit two free throws and Stavon Williams hit two more.

Utah State finished the game by shooting 43.6 percent from the field (24-55), 36.0 percent from three-point range (9-25), and a season-low 58.8 percent from the free throw line (10-17). USU did tie its season-high with nine made three-pointers and shot a season-high 25 threes.

Defensively, USU held Idaho State to just 37.7 percent shooting overall (20-53), including 23.1 percent from behind the arc (3-13). The Bengals did have the advantage at the free throw line, shooting 73.7 percent (14-19).

Utah State continued to pound the boards, as it out-rebounded Idaho State, 38-34, and USU has now out-rebounded all nine of its opponents this season.

After playing four straight games away from home, Utah State will begin a season-long five-game homestand as it hosts in-state rival Utah on Monday, Dec. 22 at 7 p.m. inside the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.