LOGAN, Utah – Utah State men's basketball picked up its sixth-straight victory Tuesday night in front of a sold-out Dee Glen Smith Spectrum crowd, defeating Fresno State behind a 3-point barrage and a strong outing from its bench.
Three different USU players scored in double-figures off the bench, led by a career night by freshman guard Elijah Perryman, who scored a career-high and game-high 16 points while also tallying three rebounds and a team-best seven assists. Perryman was extremely efficient in his 19 minutes on the court, going 5-of-6 from the floor, including a career-best four 3-pointers on five attempts.
Utah State netted 14 3-pointers on 33 attempts, its second-most makes of the season from behind the arc, including 10 triples in the first half alone.
Senior guard Kolby King and junior forward Karson Templin also entered off the bench to put on big performances. King went for 14 points, second-most on the team, along with a team-high seven rebounds, three rebounds and a steal. Templin fell just shy of a double-double in 24 minutes of action, finishing with 10 points and eight rebounds, including five offensive boards.
In total, the Aggie bench accounted for 43 of its 91 points in the contest.
Despite leading for over 31 minutes in this one, Utah State got off to a slow start. The Bulldogs came out of the gates with three quick baskets, including back-to-back triples, to take an 8-0 lead just 90 seconds in. The lead was short-lived, however, as a 10-2 response by the Aggies brought the game back to even.
Following a few quick lead changes, the Aggies used a 14-3 run to open up a double-digit lead, then remained in command the rest of the way. At the half, USU was in front 35-47.
Both sides saw shooting numbers dip following the halftime break, but Utah State saw its lead continue to grow, climbing to as many as 22 points by the nine-minute mark. The Bulldogs were able to inch closer at the charity stripe, as the sides combined to take 30 free throws in the final 10 minutes of the contest. The Aggies remained firmly in control, however, never seeing its lead dip below 12 points in the final stretch.
Along with several strong performances off the bench for USU, senior guard MJ Collins Jr. and senior forward Zach Keller each scored 10-plus as well, Collins going for 13 points and Keller totaling a season-best 11 points.
In total, Utah State shot 50.8 percent (31-of-61) from the floor, 42.4 percent (14-of-33) from 3-point range and 78.9 percent (15-of-19) at the charity stripe. Fresno State shot 40.0 percent (26-of-65) from the field, 27.6 percent (8-of-29) from behind the arc and 78.3 percent (18-of-23) at the free throw line.
UP NEXT
Utah State will remain in Logan this weekend as it hosts Memphis in a non-conference contest on Saturday, Feb. 14, at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. Tip-off is slated for 6 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network.
TICKETS
Season tickets for the 2025-26 men's basketball season have sold out. Fans can purchase single game tickets for available remaining games here. A waitlist for 2026-27 season tickets is now available here.
FOLLOW
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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