LOGAN, Utah - Utah State men's basketball leads the nation with 266 free throws made and is second in the nation with 346 attempts at the charity stripe this season. The Aggies are also the nation's leader in cleaning the glass, pulling down an NCAA-best 654 rebounds this year.
The Aggies' prowess for rebounding was in full display in the game against Eastern Oregon on Dec. 28 as Utah State logged 63 total rebounds, surpassing the Mountaineers' scoring total of 61 points. The Aggies outrebounded EOU by 39 and rank second in the nation with a plus-11.9 rebounding margin. On the year, USU is second in the nation in defensive rebounds per game (31.47) and third in the nation in total rebounds per game (43.60).
Sophomore forward Justin Bean has driven Utah State's success on the glass, pulling down an NCAA-best 172 total rebounds this season. Bean recorded his Mountain West-leading ninth double-double of the season against Eastern Oregon, logging 16 points and 12 rebounds in just 18 minutes of action. Bean is third in the nation in double-doubles this year, trailing only William & Mary's Nathan Knight and DePaul's Paul Reed with 10 double-doubles apiece. Bean is especially savvy on the offensive glass, where he ranks fourth in the nation with 4.40 offensive rebounds per game, while also ranking seventh in the nation with 11.5 total rebounds per contest.
Utah State set a school record with 36 assists against Eastern Oregon and is one of the best in the nation in moving the basketball, ranking second in the nation in total assists (261) and 11th in the nation in both assists per game (17.4) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.43). Individually, senior guard Sam Merrill ranks No. 24 in the nation with a 2.68 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Utah State's 129 points against Eastern Oregon marked the second-most points scored in school history. On the year, USU has averaged 81.8 points per game to rank No. 20 in the nation. The Aggies' 68-point margin of victory over EOU was the third-most in school history and the largest margin of victory since the 1938-39 season, when USU posted an 76-point win (92-16) over Kurley Kilowatts. The game marked the Aggies' fourth 40-point victory this season, a school record, as USU ranks No. 5 in the nation, outscoring opponents by 19.9 points per game.
Utah State returns to Mountain West action this week, playing at UNLV on New Year's Day at 9 p.m., followed by a home contest against No. 15/14 San Diego State on Saturday, Jan. 4, at 8 p.m.
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). Aggie fans can follow the Utah State athletic program on Twitter (@usuathletics), on Facebook (facebook.com/usuathletics) or on Instagram (@usuathletics).
