LOGAN, Utah – Utah State junior guard Max Shulga and senior center Trevin Dorius each recorded career-high nights in scoring, leading the Aggies back into the winner's circle with an 80-65 win over Air Force on Tuesday night at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum
 
USU led wire-to-wire as Dorius and the Aggies set the tone on the game's opening plays. After forcing the Falcons into a shot clock violation, Dorius finished a layup down low and converted the and-one opportunity at the free throw line. Utah State further cemented control via an 8-0 run in the early stages before the Falcons clawed back to make it a two-point game at the under-12 media timeout. 
 
Another 8-0 Aggie run powered by a pair of treys from graduate senior forward Taylor Funk and Shulga, plus a jumper from junior guard Steven Ashworth, pushed USU's advantage into double figures for the first time on the night. Air Force hung around in the latter minutes of the first half, trimming the deficit to single digits as USU carried a 40-32 lead into the break.
 
The Aggies extended their lead to 14 points in the opening minutes of the second half before a 9-2 run from the Falcons trimmed USU's advantage to seven points. Utah State outplayed the visitors by a score of 21-11 over the ensuing seven minutes to essentially ice the victory. Shulga scored or assisted on 15 of USU's points during the decisive stretch.
 
Shulga finished with 29 points on the night, the second-highest scoring output by an Aggie this season, shooting 8-for-16 on the night, including 5-for-8 from 3-point range and 8-for-9 from the free throw line. Dorius added 17 points on 7-for-11 shooting in addition to seven rebounds. Senior guard Sean Bairstow chipped in 11 points with five rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block. Graduate senior forward Dan Akin led the team with nine rebounds.
 
The Aggies shot 48.3 percent (29-for-60) from the field and 40.9 percent (9-for-22) from behind the arc, also outrebounding the Falcons, 38-27. Air Force shot 43.6 percent (24-for-55) from the floor and 31.8 percent (7-for-22) from 3-point territory on the night.
 
With the victory, the Aggies have now won 20 games for the 32nd time in school history and the 21st time in the past 29 seasons. 
 
Up Next
Utah State (20-7, 9-5 MW) remains at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum to take on Nevada (20-6, 10-3 MW) on Saturday, Feb. 18, at 6 p.m. (MT). Aggie legend Jaycee Carroll will have his jersey retired at halftime of the contest. The game will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network.
 
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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