Box Score Final Stats

RENO, Nevada – Nevada used a 19-0 second half run to post an 85-70 come-from-behind Mountain West home win against Utah State in the Lawlor Events Center Friday night.
 
Utah State (14-4, 3-2 MW) led 64-62 with 8:58 remaining in the game but went the next 6:51 without a single point.
 
The Aggies shot 38.6 percent (22-of-57) overall, its second-worst performance of the season. After making 6-of-11 3-pointers in the first half, USU went just 2-of-11 from behind the arc in the second half as it shot 36.4 percent (8-of-22) from deep for the game. The Aggies did convert 18-of-23 (.783) from the free throw line.
 
Junior guard Steven Ashworth led five double-figure scorers for Utah State with 15 points, while graduate forward Taylor Funk scored 13 points to go along with a team-high nine rebounds. Senior guard Sean Bairstow, junior guard Max Shulga and senior center Trevin Dorius all finished with 11 points.
 
Nevada (15-4, 5-1 MW) had three players score 20-plus points in the game, led by senior guard Kenan Blackshear with 28. Junior center Will Baker added 24 points and senior guard Jarod Lucas finished with 21 points.
 
Nevada shot 55.4 percent (31-of-56), a season high for an Aggie opponent, including a blistering 62.1 percent (18-of-29) in the second half. The Wolf Pack also made 8-of-17 (.471) 3-pointers and was 15-of-18 (.833) at the free throw line.
 
Utah State scored the first four points of the second half to push its lead to nine at 46-37 at the 19:02 mark. Trailing 51-44, Nevada used a 10-0 run to take a 54-51 lead with 14:18 to play. The Aggies responded with a 9-4 run to regain the lead at 60-58 and later led 64-62 before going nearly seven minutes without a point.
 
Utah State built a 42-37 lead at the break as it shot 48.3 percent (14-of-29), including 54.5 percent (6-of-11) from 3-point range and 66.7 percent (8-of-12) at the free throw line. Funk had 11 first-half points for the Aggies as he was 4-of-5 from the field and 3-of-3 from behind the 3-point arc. Nevada was led by Lucas' 15 points as the Wolf Pack shot 48.1 percent (13-of-27), including 41.7 percent (5-of-12) from 3-point range and 66.7 percent (6-of-9) at the charity stripe.
 
Nevada opened the game with a 3-pointer from junior center Will Baker, but Utah State answered with 11 straight points and extended its lead to 10 at 16-6 at the 14:53 mark following Funk's first triple of the game. The Wolf Pack took its first lead of the game at 26-25 following a Lucas 3-pointer to cap a 10-2 run. UNR extended its lead to three at 31-28 before USU closed the half on a 14-6 run over the final 4:58 of the half.
 
Utah State finished the game with a slight 33-31 advantage on the glass, while Nevada had six more assists (18-12), three more blocks (5-2) and five fewer turnovers (12-7). USU, who has made a habit of dominating opponents in bench points, finished with a season low nine points from its reserves.
 
NEXT GAME
Utah State returns home next week for a pair of Mountain West games as it hosts UNLV (12-4, 1-3 MW) on Tuesday, Jan. 17, at 7 p.m., and San José State (12-6, 3-2 MW) on Saturday, Jan. 21, at 6 p.m. Tickets can be purchased here.
 
For more information on Utah State's men's basketball program, follow the Aggies on Twitter at @usubasketball, on Facebook at usumensbasketball and on Instagram at usubasketball. Fans can also watch USU men's basketball highlights by visiting youtube.com/utahstateathletics.