Utah State Looks For Third Consecutive W, Second Straight On Road
Feb 4, 2023, 3:30 PM | Updated: 4:40 pm
One of the nation's leading three point shooter's, USU point guard Steven Ashworth
LOGAN, Utah – Back-to-back double-figure wins have Utah State’s men’s basketball team riding a high as they hope to remain hot down the stretch.
After exorcising their road demons with a resounding 70-53 win against Fresno State on January 28, the Aggies returned home to face New Mexico. USU jumped all over the Lobos, opening up a double-figure lead and never looking back on their way to an 84-73 victory. It was Utah State’s fifth straight home win.
Several different players have played a big role in the Aggies recent success.
GAMEDAY from Fort Collins‼️
🆚 at Colorado State
🕒 6:00 PM
📺 @CBSSportsNet
🔊 https://t.co/G20BK2ZYpI#AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/FxNZjg3TXG— USU Men's Hoops (@USUBasketball) February 4, 2023
Graduate-senior reserve forward Dan Akin exploded for 23 points and eight rebounds in the win over Fresno State. An efficient 8-of-10 from the field, Akin made his first three of the season late in the second half.
Steven Ashworth, starting in place of injured point guard Rylan Jones, added 14 points while filling up the box score with six assists, six rebounds, and a steal against the Bulldogs.
Jones has missed seven straight games since getting injured in the second half of a loss to Boise State on January 7. He is not expected to be available against Colorado State.
🏀 Highlights from @USUBasketball's 70-53 win over Fresno State#AtThePeak | #MWMBB | #AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/Z6L8ZUB2aS
— Mountain West (@MountainWest) January 29, 2023
Four nights later, Sean Bairstow led the Aggies with season-highs in points (20) and minutes played (37). Three other USU players reached double-figures with Ashworth adding 19 points, Dan Akin making eight free throws on his way to 16 points off the bench and Max Shulga chipping in 13 points on three threes.
RELATED: Without Rylan Jones Healthy, Aggies Ceiling Remains Limited
USU is one of 10 teams in the country that boast five different 10+ point scorers. Ashworth leads the group at 15.4 points per game. Taylor Funk (14ppg), Akin (12.6ppg), Shulga (11.4ppg) & Bairstow (11.1ppg) round out the group.
For the season, Ashworth is third in the nation shooting 47.5 percent from deep. The junior guard leads the Mountain West, making 3.3 triples per game.
RELATED: Utah State Must Take Care Of Business At Home For NCAA Tournament Birth
Colorado State Rams (10-13, 2-8)
Despite sitting in the cellar of the Mountain West standings, Utah State cannot afford to overlook a plucky Rams team. Despite their record, Colorado State has a +1.9 scoring margin.
𝘼𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩. 𝙇𝙖𝙨𝙩. 𝙉𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩!#SpectrumMagic is alive and well. pic.twitter.com/IdkQ3yjxSO
— USU Men's Hoops (@USUBasketball) February 2, 2023
CSU comes in scoring 73.8 points per game while allowing 71.9. By contrast, the Aggies average 80 points per game while allowing just 71.
RELATED: Utah State Beats New Mexico In Convincing Fashion
Isaiah Stevens leads four double-figure scorers at 18.4 points per game. Stevens would be second on the MW scoring leaderboard but his 15 games played doesn’t qualify for the stat. The senior guard has scored at least 13 points in every game this season while shooting 46.6 percent from the field and 40.2 percent from deep.
In 30 minutes a night, 6’5 senior guard John Tonje adds 13.2 points per game and a team-high 5.1 rebounds. Patrick Cartier (13ppg) and Isaiah Rivera (10ppg) round out the Rams top four scorers.
RELATED STORIES
Up Next
Utah State returns home for a big matchup against the No. 22 San Diego State Aztecs (18-5, 9-2) on Wednesday, February 8. Tip-off for this game is scheduled for 8 p.m. (MST) USU will be looking to even the season series with the Aztecs after falling 85-75 at SDSU on January 25.
Every Utah State basketball game can be heard on the KSL Sports Zone with Scott Garrard on the call.
Coverage of Utah State University Athletics from KSL Sports can be found here.
