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Utah State (8-2) returns from a three-game stint away from the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum for its first home game in more than two weeks when the Aggies host Alabama State (2-5) on Saturday, Dec. 15, at 7 p.m.
Opening Tips
• The game will be the second of a doubleheader, following the women's game against Utah Valley that is scheduled to tip at 2 p.m.
• The game marks the second against a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference for the Aggies this season. USU posted a 94-59 victory over Mississippi Valley State on Nov. 13, and is 7-1 all-time against members of the SWAC.
• Utah State and Alabama State have never faced on the hardwood, making the Hornets one of three first-time opponents for the Aggies this season (Hartford, Northern Iowa).
• Utah State is riding a six-game home winning streak, stretching back into the 2017-18 season.
• Utah State has outrebounded every opponent this season and ranks sixth in the nation in rebounding margin (+13.2).
• Utah State is best in the MW in ending possessions, averaging a league-best 31.1 defensive rebounds per game to rank 10th in the nation. The Aggies also lead the Mountain West in defensive rebounding percentage (.806).
• Junior guard Sam Merrill has scored in double figures in every game this season and ranks second in the Mountain West in points per game (20.6). Merrill is also the only player in the Mountain West that ranks among the top 10 in field goal percentage (3rd, .508), free throw percentage (3rd, .923) and 3-point field goal percentage (8th, .429).
• Freshman center Neemias Queta has recorded at least one block in every game this season, making it the longest streak for an Aggie since the 2014-15 season. Queta leads the MW with 2.3 blocks per game.
Scouting Alabama State
Alabama State enters the game on Saturday night with an overall mark of 2-5 after losing each of its last three games.
The Hornets are averaging 69.4 points per game and shooting 41.5 percent (176-of-424) from the floor, 34.3 percent (55-of-161) from behind the 3-point line and 59.8 percent (79-of-132) at the free throw line. ASU is led individually by a pair of double-digit scorers in junior guard Reginald Gee with 15.2 points per game and sophomore guard Jacoby Ross with 14.3 points per game. Ross also leads the team with 18 assists on the year. Redshirt sophomore center Branden Johnson leads the Hornets on the glass, averaging 6.6 rebounds per game.
Defensively, ASU opponents are averaging 74.6 points per game and shooting 44.3 percent (183-of-413) from the floor, 33.7 percent (62-of-184) from behind the 3-point line and 74.6 percent (94-of-126) at the free throw line. Junior wing Leon Daniels leads the Hornets with eight steals, while senior forward Fausto Pichardo and Johnson are tied for the team lead with five blocks.
Weekend Warriors
Utah State is a perfect 4-0 in games played on Friday and Saturday this season.
Double Digit Scoring over the Last Five
Utah State has four players averaging double figures over the last five games in junior guard Sam Merrill (20.0 ppg), sophomore guard John Knight III (10.5 ppg), senior forward Dwayne Brown Jr. (10.4 ppg) and freshman center Neemias Queta (10.0 ppg).
Scoring and Distributing
Junior guard Sam Merrill has led the Aggies in assists in each of the last three games and in four of the last five. Over the same stretch, Merrill finished first or second on the team in scoring in each game.
Ice Water Veins with Less Than a Minute
Although Utah State shot a season-low 63.6 percent (14-of-22) at the free throw line, the Aggies were a perfect 4-of-4 at the line over the final minute of the game.
