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USU MBB NOTES - Utah State Looking to Push Winning Streak to Six Games

Aggies and Runnin' Rebels will tip at 2:30 pm on Saturday

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Men's Basketball 1/31/2019 5:40:00 PM
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Utah State (16-5, 6-2 MW) will be looking to extend its winning streak to a season-best six games when the Aggies host UNLV (11-9, 5-3 MW) on Saturday, Feb. 2, at 2:30 p.m.
 
Opening Tips
• Fans can watch the game live on AT&T Sports Net (DirecTV 683, Dish 414, Comcast 52) with Jenny Cavnar providing play-by-play and Joe Cravens serving as the analyst.
 
• UNLV leads the all-time series against the Aggies, 32-7, but Utah State has won each of the last two and three of the last four. USU is 5-13 all-time against the Runnin' Rebels in Logan.
 
• Junior guard Sam Merrill has scored 20 or more points in each of Utah State's last two games and is averaging 20.2 points per game over the last five. 
 
• Freshman center Neemias Queta is averaging a near double-double in league play, averaging 12.8 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. Queta leads the MW with 3.0 blocks per game in league play.
 
• Queta has pulled down 10 or more rebounds in each of the last three games, including double-double efforts against Colorado State (18/11) and San José State (11/11).
 
• Utah State leads the Mountain West in field goal percentage on both sides of the floor, shooting a league-best 47.7 percent (591-of-1,239) on the offensive side, and then holding opponents to just 38.3 percent (460-of-1,201) on the defensive side.
 
• Utah State leads the MW in league games with a +7.1 rebounding margin, more than each of the next four teams averaging positive numbers combined (SDSU, +3.1; UNLV, +2.0; FS, +1.1; NM, +0.6).
 
• Utah State attempted 37 3-point shots against San José State in its last game out, marking the second-most attempts from behind the arc in school history. The number ranked just behind a school-record 43 3-point attempts against the same Spartans on Feb. 28, 2018, in San Jose.
 
Scouting UNLV
UNLV is 11-9 on the year and a game behind the Aggies in the Mountain West standings with a 5-3 mark. The Runnin' Rebels have lost each of their last two with losses at San Diego State (94-77) and at home against Nevada (87-70).
 
UNLV is averaging 75.6 points per game and shooting 42.8 percent (522-of-1,221) from the floor, 34.2 percent (162-of-473) from behind the 3-point line and 68.2 percent (306-of-449) at the free throw line. The trio of senior guard Kris Clyburn, sophomore guard Amauri Hardy and freshman forward Joel Ntambwe pace the team in scoring with 13.6, 12.7 and 12.6 points per game, respectively. Ntambwe leads UNLV on the glass with 6.3 boards per game, while senior guard Noah Robotham leads the team with 4.8 assists per game.
 
Defensively, teams are averaging 73.0 points per game against the Runnin' Rebels and shooting 44.8 percent (528-of-1,178) from the floor, 35.9 percent (128-of-357) from behind the 3-point line and 71.3 percent (276-of-387) at the free throw line. Robotham leads UNLV with 24 steals on the year, while sophomore forward Cheikh Mbacke Diong leads the team with 26 blocks.
 
Best Conference Start since 2010-11 
Utah State's 6-2 start in Mountain West play is its best since entering the league and its best start since the 2010-11 season when the Aggies won each of their first 11 games in the WAC.
 
Still Hot in the Middle of Winter
Utah State's six victories during the month of January is the most for the team since the 2010-11 season, when the Aggies went a perfect 7-0.
 
Long Range Victories
Utah State has made 10 or more 3-point buckets in seven games this season and is a perfect 7-0 in games when scoring double-digit 3-point field goals.
 
Queta's Block Party Going National
Freshman center Neemias Queta has more blocks this season (53) than 82 entire programs in the nation have as a team.
 
100 100's
Utah State recorded its 100th 100-point game in school history with its 103-73 victory over San José State on Jan. 30.
 
Conference 100's
Utah State's 103-73 victory over San José State on Jan. 30, marked the first 100-point game for the Aggies in conference played since the 1997-98 season when USU posted a 102-76 victory over North Texas on Feb. 28, 1998.
 
Triple 100's
Utah State has recorded three 100-point outings this season, tying the most in a single season since the 1994-95 season. The Aggies had a school-record eight 100-point games during the 1969-70 season.
 
Century Scorer
Freshman guard Tauriawn Knight has been the player that has pushed the Aggies past the 100-point plateau in two of Utah State's 100-point games this season. Knight hit a 3-point basket against Hartford (11/9), putting the score at 100, and then scored on a driving layup against San José State (1/30) to notch 101 points for the Aggies.
 
High-Scoring Sam
Junior guard Sam Merrill has outscored the entire starting backcourt of the opposition in nine different contests this season. (at Montana State, Hartford, vs Saint Mary's, Northern Iowa, at UC Irvine, Alabama State, Eastern Oregon, at New Mexico and San José State).
 
Series Notables vs UNLV
• Utah State and UNLV will be meeting for the 40th time in school history on Saturday afternoon.
 
• The Runnin' Rebels are one of just three teams in the Mountain West that has a winning record against the Aggies, leading Utah State 32-7. However, the Aggies have won three of the last four contests.
 
• The trend continues at home, where the Aggies have won three of the last four games inside the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.
 
• Junior guard Sam Merrill has scored in double figures in each game against the Runnin' Rebels in his career, scoring 14, 11, 20 and 18 in four career games.
 
• Utah State shot its best percentage behind the 3-point line against UNLV in Mountain West play on Jan. 7, 2017, shooting 61.9 percent (13-of-21) from long range.
 
• Utah State has made 10 or more 3-point field goals in each of the last two games and in four of the last six contests.
 
• Utah State has shot 50 percent or better from the floor against UNLV in each of the last two games and in four of the last six contests.
 
• The Runnin' Rebels have lived up to their namesake, scoring more fastbreak points in six of the nine games during Mountain West play.
 
• Utah State and UNLV played one of the highest-scoring games in NCAA history, when UNLV posted a 142-140 triple-overtime victory in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum on Jan. 2, 1985.
 
• Utah State scored a MW-era-best 85 points against the Runnin' Rebels in the Aggies' 85-78 victory in Las Vegas on Jan. 6, 2018.
 
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Players Mentioned

Tauriawn Knight

#1 Tauriawn Knight

Guard
6' 1"
Freshman
Sam Merrill

#5 Sam Merrill

Guard
6' 5"
Junior
Neemias Queta

#23 Neemias Queta

Center
6' 11"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Tauriawn Knight

#1 Tauriawn Knight

6' 1"
Freshman
Guard
Sam Merrill

#5 Sam Merrill

6' 5"
Junior
Guard
Neemias Queta

#23 Neemias Queta

6' 11"
Freshman
Center
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