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LOGAN, Utah - Utah State men's basketball (20-7, 9-5 MW) continues its 2019-20 season on Saturday, Feb. 15, traveling to face Fresno State (9-16, 5-9 MW) at 8 p.m. (MT). Fans can watch the game on ESPNU (Xfinity Ch. 400, DirecTV Ch. 208, Dish Ch. 141).

Opening Tips
• Utah State and Fresno State will meet for the 64th time on Saturday night, representing the 12th-longest series in USU history. The Aggies lead the all-time series 38-25 and have won six of the last seven, including each of the last two in Fresno, Calif.

• Utah State has logged back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time since the 2011-12 and 2012-13 campaigns. Overall, it is the 30th time in school history that USU has won at least 20 games in a season.

• Utah State is 24-8 against Mountain West opponents over the last two years, including a 10-6 mark on the road. All-time, USU is 64-58 in the MW since joining the league in 2013-14.

• Utah State earned a combined 3.11 grade point average during the fall semester, making up a combined 3.32 grade point average for USU student-athletes, the highest semester GPA for the Aggies in school history.

• Senior guard Sam Merrill become the fourth Aggie in school history and just the sixth player in MW history to surpass 2,000 career points this season. Merrill currently has 2,028 points to rank No. 3 all-time in USU history and needs 100 more points to finish second.

• Merrill has the chance to move ahead of former Fresno State Bulldog Marvelle Harris in the game at Fresno. Harris finished his career with 2,031 points. The Aggies then host Wyoming in their next game, where Merrill could pass former Cowboy Justin James for four on the all-time scoring list as James finished with 2,061 points.

• Merrill has scored in double figures in all but one game he's played in this season and in each of the last 18 games, increasing his total of 101 career games in double figures, moving to third in school history.

• Merrill is second all-time in career assists (452) and is both the USU and MW-record holder in career free throw percentage, converting 89.1 percent (418-of-469) at the line.

• Merrill is the only player in school history to surpass more than 1,900 career points, 400 career assists and 100 career steals. Merrill is just the third player in MW history to accomplish the feat (Jimmer Fredette - BYU, Brandon Ewing - WYO).

• Merrill logged his seventh 30-point game of his career in Utah State's last contest at Colorado State. Each of Merrill's seven 30-point games during his career have come on the road.

• Sophomore center Neemias Queta recorded his 100th career block against UNLV, becoming the fifth Aggie in school history to record 100 or more blocks in a career.  Queta needs 10 more blocks to move into a tie for fourth all-time.

• Queta has recorded multiple blocks in more than half of the games he has played in during his career at Utah State, including each of the last four contests. Queta leads the MW with 1.8 blocks per game in league play.

• Senior guard Diogo Brito has surpassed 100 career steals this year, totaling 112 during his career to rank tied for 10th in school history. Brito is second in the MW with 1.6 steals per game.

• Brito has scored in double figures in each of the last two games for the Aggies. Utah State is a perfect 27-0 over the last two years when Brito scores in double figures.

• Bean, a former walk-on, is one of only two players in the MW averaging a double-double, turning in 12.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. Bean is 15th in the nation with 12 double-doubles this season, the most by an Aggie since Eric Franson logged 15 double-doubles during the 1994-95 season.

• Bean's effort on the floor is evident as he leads the league with 3.59 offensive rebounds per game overall and is also the league leader with 1.9 steals per game in league play.

• Head coach Craig Smith is closing in on 200 career victories, needing just one more win to reach the 200-victory plateau.

The Utah State/Fresno State Series
• Utah State and Fresno State have faced 63 times, representing the 12th-longest series in Utah State history. USU leads the all-time series 38-25 and has won six of the last seven, including two straight in Fresno, Calif.

• Utah State's only loss over the last seven games came on a last-second shot in Logan as Fresno State came away with the 78-77 victory on Jan. 9, 2019. The loss was the Aggies' only defeat at home last season.

• Utah State's 25-point victory over Fresno State in the 2019 Mountain West Tournament is the largest margin of victory for the Aggies over the Bulldogs since joining the league in 2013-14.

• Utah State has had four players in double figures in eight of the 12 games during the series.

• Fresno State has had a player score 20 or more points in 10 of the 12 games during the series.

• Sophomore center Neemias Queta recorded a career-high six blocks against Fresno State on Jan. 9, 2019, tying for the third-most in a single game in Utah State history.

• Five of the last six games have been determined in the closing seconds of regulation. Fresno State's New Williams hit a 3-point shot at the end of regulation in the first game between the two teams earlier this season, sending the game into overtime. Last season, a 3-point basket by then-senior Quinn Taylor with 14 seconds gave the Aggies a five-point lead late at Fresno State on Feb. 5, 2019. In the first meeting in 2018-19, Fresno State beat the Aggies with a 3-point basket with five seconds on the clock on Jan. 9, 2019, in Logan. During the 2017-18 season, 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.