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Utah State (11-5, 1-2 MW) returns to the court on Saturday afternoon, facing Wyoming (4-12, 0-3 MW) inside Arena Auditorium in Laramie, Wyo., at 4 p.m.
Watch
Fans can watch the game on AT&T Sports Net (DirecTV 683, Dish 414, Comcast 52) with Drew Goodman providing play-by-play and Sed Bonner serving as the analyst.
Opening Tips
• Wyoming leads the all-time series against the Aggies, 51-27, making it one of just three teams in the MW that has a series advantage over Utah State (San Diego State, UNLV).
• Wyoming leads the series, 31-6, in Laramie and has won each of the last eight. The Aggies last won on the road against the Cowboys on Feb. 16, 1962.
• Utah State leads the Mountain West in both field goal percentage (.473) and field goal percentage defense (.370). In fact, USU ranks fifth in the nation in field goal percentage defense.
• Utah State is also best in the MW in limiting opponents on the offensive end, holding teams to a league-best 65.9 points per game. The Aggies also pull down a league-best 41.8 rebounds per game, a league-best 30.8 defensive rebounds per game and carrying a defensive rebounding percentage of .781.
• Freshman center Neemias Queta has been perfect from the floor in each of the last two games, shooting 5-of-5 against Air Force and 6-of-6 against Fresno State.
• Queta is also tops in the MW on the defensive end, averaging a league-best 2.6 blocks per game, including a career-high six in the last game against Fresno State. The six blocks were the third-most in a single game in school history.
• Junior guard Sam Merrill is the only player in the country that is shooting better than 50 percent from the floor and better than 90 percent at the free throw line. Merrill's career-long streak of 24 consecutive free throws was snapped against Fresno State, where he finished 9-of-11 at the charity stripe.
• Redshirt freshman guard Brock Miller has scored in double figures in each of the last three games, averaging 12.0 points per game over the stretch.
Scouting Wyoming
Wyoming is 4-12 on the year and winless in the Mountain West with an 0-3 mark. The Cowboys have lost six of their last seven.
Offensively, Wyoming is averaging 68.3 points per game and shooting 41.0 percent (348-of-848) from the floor, 35.7 percent (117-of-328) from behind the 3-point line and 72.7 percent (280-of-385) at the free throw line. Senior guard Justin James leads the Cowboys in almost every statistic, averaging team bests of 20.7 points per game, 9.3 rebounds per game, 4.2 assists per game and 1.5 steals per game.
Defensively, Wyoming is allowing 76.5 points per game, as opponents are shooting 44.6 percent (428-of-959) from the floor, 34.6 percent (130-of-376) from behind the 3-point line and 75.6 percent (238-of-315) at the free throw line. Freshman forward TJ Taylor leads Wyoming with nine blocks, averaging 0.6 per game.
Aggies Following a Loss
Utah State has followed up each of its previous four losses with a victory, averaging 77.5 points and 42.2 rebounds per contest, while the opposition averages 59.5 points and 29.5 rebounds per game. Junior guard Sam Merrill leads the way individually with 21.3 points per game, shooting 56.3 percent (27-of-48) from the floor, 50.0 percent (10-of-20) from behind the 3-point line and 100.0 percent (21-of-21) at the free throw line. Freshman center Neemias Queta is also averaging double figures in games following a loss with 11.0 points per game and a team-best 7.5 rebounds per game.
Weekend Warriors
Utah State is a perfect 7-0 this season in games played on Friday or Saturday.
Block Party
Queta recorded six blocks against Fresno State on Jan. 9, the third-most in a single game in Utah State history. It was the most blocks by an Aggie in a single game since the 2007-08 season.
