By: Wade Denniston, USU Athletic Media Relations
 
LOGAN, Utah – Utah State's men's basketball team opened its 2022-23 campaign with a dominating 75-58 victory over in-state rival Utah Valley on Monday night at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. 
 
Senior guard Sean Bairstow paced three Aggies in double-figure scoring with 19 points, while grad senior Taylor Funk chipped in 18 and junior guard Max Shulga added 14. 
 
Utah State improved to 14-0 all-time against Utah Valley, including 8-0 at home. 
 
Aziz Bandaogo led the Wolverines with 17 points and Cam Alford contributed 13 off the bench. 
 
Trey Woodbury gave the Wolverines their final lead of the night at 7-5 when he knocked down a jumper with 16:44 left in the opening half. 
 
However, Bairstow tied the game at 7-all less than a minute later and junior guard Steven Ashworth gave Utah State the lead for good when he knocked down a technical free throw with 14:58 to go in the opening half. 
 
Ashworth filled the stat sheet for the Aggies as he scored nine points, to go along with a career-high-tying six rebounds and five assists, marking the 12th time in his career he has recorded at least five dimes in a game. 
 
Utah State finished with 17 assists on 29 made baskets. Senior guard Rylan Jones dished out eight dimes for the Aggies, who shot 45.3 percent from the field (29-of-64), including 42.1 percent from the free throw line (8-of-19), and 56.3 percent from the charity stripe (9-of-16). 
 
Defensively, the Aggies limited the Wolverines to just 32.8 percent shooting from the field (20-of-61), including 15.8 percent from the charity stripe (3-of-19), and 75.0 percent from the free throw line (15-of-20). 
 
Utah State led 41-28 at halftime and improved to 16-7 under second-year head coach Ryan Odom when leading at the break. 
 
UP NEXT 
 
Utah State remains at home when the Aggies welcome Bradley to the Spectrum on Friday, Nov. 11, at 7 p.m. (MT). 
 
For more information on Utah State's men's basketball program, follow the Aggies on Facebook at usumensbasketball, on Twitter at @usubasketball and on Instagram at @usubasketball. Fans can also watch USU men's basketball highlights by visiting youtube.com/utahstateathletics. 
 
-USU-