LOGAN, Utah - Utah State men's basketball played its best defensive game of the season on Saturday night, holding Alabama State to 20.7 percent (12-of-58) shooting from the floor, and recorded a season-high nine blocks and 12 steals in a runaway 86-48 victory inside the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.
Junior guard Sam Merrill led the Aggies with a game-high 16 points and added five rebounds, five assists and a season-high three steals and was tasked with guarding Alabama State's leading scorers in sophomore guard Jacoby Ross and junior guard Reginald Gee most of the night. Ross and Gee finished the night a combined 3-of-25 from the floor as the Hornets had just one player score in double figures in junior guard Tobi Ewuosho (11 points).
Meanwhile, Merrill was joined in double figures by freshman center Neemias Queta with 15, senior forward Dwayne Brown Jr. with 14, sophomore guard Crew Ainge with a career-high 11, and junior guard Diogo Brito with 10. Senior forward Quinn Taylor was close behind with a near-double-double of nine points and a team-best nine rebounds. Queta was a perfect 5-of-5 from the floor and added a team-best four blocks to bring his season total to 27, marking the fourth-most by a freshman in Utah State history.
The Aggies jumped out to a 13-1 lead early in the first half, holding the Hornets without a field goal over the opening five minutes of the game. A Merrill trey gave the Aggies' their largest lead of the opening half, 32-9, with a little more than eight minutes remaining. Utah State eventually went into the half with a 44-28 advantage, marking the seventh time in the last nine games that the Aggies have held their opponent to less than 30 points over the opening 20 minutes.
The Utah State lead ballooned to 32, 67-35, when Brown knocked down a three with 12:26 to play, and hit 40 when Brito scored a layup off an assist by redshirt freshman Justin Bean with 1:16 on the clock. The dime was one of 19 by the Aggies during the game as all but three players that dressed collected at least one assist.
Utah State finished the game shooting 54.5 percent (30-of-55) from the floor, 29.2 percent (7-of-24) from behind the 3-point line and 67.9 percent (19-of-28) at the free throw line. The Aggies have now shot 50 percent or better in five games this season.
Alabama State shot 20.7 percent (12-of-58) from the floor, a season-low by a USU opponent this season, 21.1 percent (4-of-19) from behind the 3-point line and 80.0 percent (20-of-25) at the free throw line.
Utah State will be back in action on Thursday, Dec. 20, facing No. 24/22 Houston on the road inside the Fertitta Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. (MT).
Utah State men's basketball news and information is available on Facebook (facebook.com/usumensbasketball), on Twitter (@usubasketball) and on Instagram (@usubasketball). Fans can also get USU men's basketball highlights on YouTube (youtube.com/utahstateathletics).
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