HONOLULU, Hawaii – Utah State men's basketball jumped back into the win column on Thursday afternoon, winning its opening game of the 2022 Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic against Seattle 84-56 at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
Rebounding from the team's first loss of the season, the Aggies took control midway through the first half versus the Redhawks. With the score tied at 15-15 following a pair of Seattle free throws, Utah State embarked on an 18-3 run keyed by a pair of threes from junior guard
Steven Ashworth. The Aggie defense stifled the Redhawks, allowing only a single field goal in over 11 minutes of game time as USU built a 15-point lead. Utah State entered halftime with a 36-24 edge.
After the Redhawks trimmed USU's lead to single digits early in the second half, the Aggies exploded for a 10-0 run spanning only 61 seconds as graduate forward
Taylor Funk sank two 3-pointers as part of the run to reaffirm control for Utah State. Seattle never came within fewer than 17 points in the final 15 minutes as the Aggies led by as many as 32 points en route to the final horn.
Utah State was again led by a well-balanced scoring attack as five different Aggies scored in double-figures for the third consecutive contest. Ashworth led the way with 17 points on 6-for-10 shooting, including 5-for-8 from 3-point range, in addition to four assists and four steals, both team-highs. Junior guard
Max Shulga recorded his third double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds, also tying for team-best marks with four assists and two blocks.
Senior guard
Sean Bairstow chipped in with 13 points, nine of which came in the first half to help the Aggies build their halftime cushion. Graduate forward
Dan Akin added 15 points and eight rebounds while Funk rounded out USU's double-digit scorers with 11 points.
The Aggies shot 50.8 percent from the field (30-for-59), their seventh game converting at least half their attempts so far this season. USU also went 11-for-28 (39.3 percent) on 3-point attempts and shot 13-for-17 from the free throw line.
Up Next
Utah State (10-1, 0-0 MW) continues action at the Diamond Head Classic tomorrow against SMU. The Mustangs advanced to the second round of the tournament via an 85-81 win over Iona earlier on Thursday. Tip-off between the Aggies and Mustangs is scheduled for 5 p.m. (MT) and will be broadcasted on ESPN2.
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.
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