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Utah State (9-2) takes a pre-Christmas trip to Houston, Texas, on Thursday, Dec. 20, facing No. 21 Houston (10-0) inside the Fertitta Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. (MT).
 
Opening Tips
• Utah State is tied 1-1 in the all-time series against Houston, with the teams last playing during the 1969-70 season.
 
• Utah State is 16-99 all-time against foes ranked in the AP top-25 and has lost each of the last 14 games against ranked opponents.
 
• Utah State has posted wire-to-wire victories in four of its last five games.
 
• Utah State has outrebounded every opponent this season and ranks fourth in the nation in rebounding margin (+13.2). The Aggies lead the Mountain West in both rebounding offense (42.7) and rebounding defense (29.6).
 
• Utah State is best in the MW in ending possessions, averaging a league-best 32.0 defensive rebounds per game to rank sixth in the nation. The Aggies also lead the Mountain West in defensive rebounding percentage (.806).
 
• Utah State is also tops in the MW in scoring offense (84.0), field goal percentage (.494), scoring defense (66.0) and defensive field goal percentage (.365).
 
• 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 (20.2). Merrill is also the only player in the Mountain West that ranks among the top 10 in field goal percentage (3rd, .511), free throw percentage (3rd, .914) and 3-point field goal percentage (7th, .424).
 
• 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 2.5 blocks per game. Queta has totaled 27 blocks this season to rank fourth all-time for a freshman in Utah State history.
 
Scouting Houston
Houston is one of nine teams in the nation that remain undefeated, opening the 2018-19 season with a perfect 10-0 mark.
 
The Cougars are averaging 75.3 points per game and shooting 44.9 percent (262-of-584) from the floor, 34.1 percent (97-of-270) from behind the 3-point line and 70.6 percent (137-of-194) at the free throw line. Junior guard Armoni Brooks leads Houston with 15.8 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. He is followed closely by senior guard Corey Davis Jr. with 15.7 points per game. Senior guard Galen Robinson Jr. is also averaging double figures, turning in 10.1 points per game, and leads the team with 5.9 assists per game.
 
Defensively, Houston is allowing 60.2 points per game as opponents are shooting 37.6 percent (214-of-569) from the floor, 26.9 percent (64-of-238) from behind the 3-point line and 63.2 percent (110-of-174) at the free throw line. Freshman guard Nate Hinton leads the Cougars with 1.3 steals per game, while sophomore forward Brison Gresham leads the team with 2.0 blocks per game.
 
Rookie Coaching Starts
Utah State is off to its best start under a first-year head coach in school history as Craig Smith has led the Aggies to a 9-2 record over their opening 11 games, matching the start by Ladell Andersen during the 1961-62 season.
 
Scoring and Distributing
Junior guard Sam Merrill has led the Aggies in assists in each of the last four games and in five of the last six. Over the same stretch, Merrill finished first or second on the team in scoring in each game.
 
Scoring and Distributing - Part II
In the last game against Alabama State, Merrill scored more points (16) than the entire starting backcourt of the Hornets (15) and logged as many assists (5) as the entire Alabama State team (5).
 
The Utah State/Houston series - Did you know?
• Utah State senior forward Quinn Taylor will be playing in front of his hometown on Thursday night after playing at Langham Creek High School in the Houston area.
 
• Utah State and Houston have not met since the 1969-70 season, a 91-84 victory for the Aggies.
 
• In the two games of the series, the team that has won the battle of the boards has gone on to win the game.
 
• Utah State has shot better at the free throw line and has made more at the charity stripe than Houston in each game in the series.
 
• The game on Jan. 31, 1970, was played at a very high pace as both teams attempted 78 field goals during the game, each converting 37.
 
• The game on Jan. 31, 1970, featured three double-doubles by the Aggies. Nate Williams led the way with 26 points and 22 rebounds, followed by USU All-American Marvin Roberts with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Jeff Tebbs rounded out the double-doubles with 22 points and 11 assists.