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LOGAN, Utah - Utah State men's basketball plays at Saint Mary's on Friday, Nov. 29, at 9:30 p.m. (MT). The game can be seen on ESPNU (Comcast Ch. 400, DirecTV Ch. 208, Dish Ch. 141).

Opening Tips
• Utah State (7-0) is off to its best start since the 1961-62 season, when the Aggies started the year 8-0. The current 7-0 mark is the fourth-best start in school history, trailing the school record of 9-0 set during the 1938-39 and 1917-18 seasons.

• Utah State, currently ranked No. 15 in the AP poll, is 63-18 all-time as an AP-ranked team.

• USU's 15th ranking is the highest for the Aggies since the 1970-71 season, when Utah State was ranked as high as No. 9. Utah State's highest AP ranking in school history came during the 1960 season, when USU was ranked as high as No. 7.

• Utah State has appeared on each of the last four AP polls, making it the longest stretch for the Aggies since appearing on the AP poll in four consecutive weeks during the 2003-04 season.

• In its last time out, Utah State held North Texas scoreless over the final 4:11 of the game and overcame a 59-57 deficit to post a 68-59 victory in the Jamaica Classic finale.

• The Aggies overcame a 19-point deficit with 16:32 to play in the second half against LSU to post an 80-78 victory over the Tigers in their opening game of the Jamaica Classic. The comeback was the biggest since USU overcame an 18-point halftime deficit against Weber State on Nov. 14, 2014, to post a 72-61 win over the Wildcats.

• Senior guard Sam Merrill tied a school record with 17 made free throws in the Aggies' 81-73 season-opening victory over Montana State. Merrill matched the school record alongside Tim Tollestrup, who made 17 free throws against Utah in 1970, and Bart Johnson, who made 17 free throws against Idaho in 1954.

• Sophomore forward Justin Bean, a former walk-on, leads the Mountain West in rebounding with 11.4 boards per contest and is the only player in the conference averaging a double-double, turning in 13.4 points per game. Bean is 11th in the nation in total rebounds per game and 10th in the nation in offensive rebounds per game, averaging 4.0 per contest.

• Junior forward Alphonso Anderson was named to the Jamaica Classic all-tournament team after averaging 21.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game against LSU and North Texas. Anderson scored a career-high 24 points in the victory over LSU. Bean was named the Jamaica Classic MVP, averaging a double-double of 14.0 points and 12.5 rebounds per game against LSU and North Texas. 

• Sophomore center Neemias Queta, the reigning MW Freshman and Defensive Player of the Year, has yet to make his 2019-20 debut. Queta led the MW and set a Utah State single-season record with 84 blocks last year.

• Head coach Craig Smith has the best record of any coach in USU history over their first two years with an overall mark of 35-7.

Scouting Saint Mary's
Saint Mary's is 6-1 on the year with its only loss coming at home against Winthrop on Monday, Nov. 11. The Gaels have won each of their last five contests, including a 107-56 victory over Sonoma State on Sunday, Nov. 24.

SMC is averaging 76.6 points per game and shooting 50.5 percent (195-of-386) from the floor, 45.9 percent (68-of-148) from behind the 3-point line and 75.0 percent (78-of-104) at the free throw line. Senior guard Jordan Ford paces the Gaels with 20.7 points per game, following by junior forward Malik Fitts with 13.1 ppg and senior guard Tanner Krebs with 12.4 ppg. Fitts leads SMC on the glass, averaging 6.1 rebounds per contest.

Opponents are averaging 59.3 points per game against the Gaels and shooting 43.4 percent (161-of-371) from the floor, 30.8 percent (36-of-117) from behind the 3-point line and 62.6 percent (57-of-91) at the free throw line.

The Utah State/Saint Mary's Series
• Utah State and Saint Mary's will meet for the 11th time in program history on Friday night with the Aggies leading the Gaels 6-4. USU captured a 75-65 victory in the last contest in Moraga during the 2010-11 season.

• Utah State won four of the first five meetings between the two teams, and two of the last three.

• The team that has shot better from the floor has won each of the last seven games.

• The team that has made more free throws has won five of the last seven games.

• The battle of the boards has made a small impact on the outcome of the game as the team with more rebounds has won four of the last seven.

• The team that has fouled less has won five of the last seven games.