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by: Ashley Springer, USU Athletic Media Relations
LAS VEGAS, Nev. - Utah State men's basketball (27-6, 15-3 Mountain West) will play in the title game of the Mountain West Championship after posting an 85-60 semifinal victory over Fresno State (23-9, 13-5 MW) on Friday night in the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nev.
Utah State will take on San Diego State (21-12, 11-7 MW) for the Mountain West Championship on Saturday, March 16, at 4 p.m. (MT). This will be the first conference championship game appearance by the Aggies since a 77-69 victory over Boise State in the Western Athletic Conference championship in 2011. The game will be televised on CBS.
Five Aggies scored in double figures in Friday's victory as junior guard
Sam Merrill had 22 points, junior guard
Diogo Brito had 20 off the bench, sophomore guard
Abel Porter had 11 and redshirt freshman guard
Brock Miller had 10. Freshman center
Neemias Queta recorded his 10th double-double of the season with 10 points and 13 rebounds.
Utah State took a double-digit lead early in the first half at 17-6 after free throws from Queta and Merrill, a Merrill layup and a 3-pointer from Porter. The Bulldogs trimmed the lead to five, 19-14, but a Brito trey and pair of layups from redshirt freshman forward
Justin Bean pushed USU's lead to 12 at 26-14. Fresno State made it a nine-point game, 26-17, after a Bulldog triple, but a Queta layup and threes from Brito and Merrill gave the Aggies a 17-point advantage, 34-17, and they led by double figures the remainder of the game. After some back-and-forth between the teams, USU closed out the half on a 9-0 run after a Merrill and-1 and threes from Brito and Merrill for the 50-27 edge heading into the break.
The Aggies extended their lead to 28 at 65-37 with 15 minutes to go after free throws from Queta and Bean, and a Miller 3-pointer. Layups from Merrill and Brito, along with a Queta free throw, pushed the advantage to 31, 75-44. A pair of threes from senior forward
Quinn Taylor and Porter gave the Aggies the 85-50 edge with 2:48 to play. The Bulldogs scored the final 10 points of the game as Utah State took the 85-60 victory.
USU finished the night shooting 48.5 percent (32-of-66) from the field, 41.9 percent (13-of-31) from long range and 72.7 percent (8-of-11) at the free throw line. Fresno State shot 40.4 percent (23-of-57) from the floor, 19.2 percent (5-of-26) from behind the arc and 81.8 percent (9-of-11) at the free throw line.
Utah State improves to 15-6 all-time in conference tournament semifinal games, and 45-32 in all conference tournament action.
USU outrebounded Fresno State, 43-29, and dished out 23 assists to the Fresno State's 12. The Aggies outscored the Bulldogs in the paint, 34-26. Brito and Bean combined for 27 points off the bench outscoring the Bulldogs' nine.
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