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Utah State (17-5, 7-2 MW) will open the second leg of its Mountain West schedule at Fresno State (16-5, 7-2 MW) on Tuesday, Feb. 5, at 8:30 p.m. (MT).
Opening Tips
• Fans can watch the game live on AT&T Sports Net (DirecTV 683, Dish 414, Comcast 52) with Drew Goodman providing play-by-play, Dave Bollwinkel serving as the analyst and Jenny Cavnar as the sideline reporter.
• The winner of the game will be in sole possession of second place in the Mountain West standings.
• The last three games between the two schools have been decided in the closing seconds of regulation, including a 3-point game winner by Fresno State with five seconds on the clock on Jan. 9.
• Utah State leads the all-time series against the Bulldogs, 35-25, and has won three of the last four. However, Fresno State won the first contest between the two teams this season, 78-77, in Logan.
• Junior guard Sam Merrill has scored 20 or more points in each of Utah State's last three games and is averaging 23.7 points per game over the same stretch while shooting 50.0 percent (25-of-50) from the floor, 40.9 percent (9-of-22) from behind the 3-point line and 80.0 percent (12-of-15) at the free throw line.
• Freshman center Neemias Queta has pulled down 10 or more rebounds in each of the last four games, including double-double efforts against Colorado State (18/11), San José State (11/11) and UNLV (10/16). Queta has also recorded three blocks in each game over the same four-game stretch. Over the last five games, Queta is averaging 12.2 points and 11.8 rebounds per game.
• Utah State leads the Mountain West in field goal percentage on both sides of the floor, shooting a league-best 47.8 percent (621-of-1,300) on the offensive side, and then holding opponents to just 38.2 percent (481-of-1,258) on the defensive side.
• Utah State leads the MW in league games with a +7.7 rebounding margin, more than each of the next six teams combined (FS +2.4, SDSU +1.9, CSU +0.4, UNLV +0.4, SJSU +0.3, NEV +0.1).
Scouting Fresno State
Fresno State will enter the game on Tuesday night with an overall mark of 16-5, including a 7-2 ledger in the Mountain West. The Bulldogs have won each of their last two games and four of their last five.
Fresno State is averaging 76.4 points per game and shooting 45.5 percent (556-of-1,223) from the floor, 37.1 percent (203-of-547) from behind the 3-point line and 71.8 percent (290-of-404) at the free throw line. Senior guard Braxton Huggins leads the Bulldogs with 17.8 points per game and is joined in double figures by senior guard Deshon Taylor with 16.2 and junior forward Nate Grimes with 12.5. Grimes also paces Fresno State on the glass, pulling down 9.5 rebounds per game. Taylor leads the Bulldogs in dimes, dishing out 4.8 assists per game, followed closely by junior guard Noah Blackwell with 4.2 assists per contest.
Defensively, Fresno State is allowing 66.2 points per game as teams are shooting 40.9 percent (484-of-1,182) from the floor, 28.8 percent (137-of-476) from behind the 3-point line and 72.6 percent (286-of-394) at the free throw line. Grimes is the Bulldogs' rim protector, averaging 1.8 blocks per game, while Taylor leads Fresno State in thefts, averaging 1.5 steals per game.
Streaking in the Mountain West
Utah State's six-game winning streak matches its longest in Mountain West play since joining the league in 2013-14.
The Utah State/Fresno State Series - Did You Know?
• Utah State and Fresno State have faced 60 times, representing the 13th longest series in Utah State history.
• Utah State swept Fresno State last season, the first such sweep by the Aggies against the Bulldogs during Mountain West play.
• Utah State has had four players in double figures in six of the nine games during the series.
• Fresno State has had a player score 20 or more points in seven of the nine games during the series.
• Freshman center Neemias Queta recorded a career-high six blocks against Fresno State on Jan. 9, tying for the third-most in a single game in Utah State history.
• Sophomore guard Abel Porter recorded a career-high 14 points against Fresno State on Jan. 9, converting a career-high six free throws on a career-high nine attempts.
• Junior guard Sam Merrill notched career highs at the free throw line against the Bulldogs on Jan. 9, hitting a career-high nine free throws on a career-high 11 free throw attempts.
• Merrill and Fresno State's Braxton Huggins are each ranked in the top-10 of the Mountain West in all three shooting percentages. Merrill is sixth in field goal percentage (.486), first in free throw percentage (.886) and eighth in 3-point field goal percentage (.381), while Huggins is 10th in field goal percentage (.420), seventh in free throw percentage (.766) and ninth in 3-point field goal percentage (.379).
• The last three games have been determined in the closing seconds of regulation as Fresno State beat the Aggies with a 3-point basket with five seconds on the clock on Jan. 9, 2019, in Logan. Utah State provided the same late-game closure in Fresno, Calif., on Jan. 27, 2018, hitting a 3-point game winner with 0.7 seconds on the clock. The game in Logan on Jan. 3, 2018, came down to free throws in regulation as a Utah State free throw with one second on the clock sent the game into overtime, where the Aggies came out on top, 81-79.
