Utah St downs Air Force 71-49 behind Merrill, McEwen
LOGAN, Utah -- Sam Merrill scored 21 points with five 3-pointers, Koby McEwen added 20 points, and Utah State opened the second half with a big run to beat Air Force 71-49 on Wednesday night, ending a four-game skid.
Merrill scored eight points in a 15-4 run and the Aggies pulled ahead 44-29, then led by 20 on Diogo Brito's layup with 7:10 to play. Merrill's fifth 3 made it 62-41 with 5:21 left and the Aggies rolled.
Air Force led briefly, then tied it at 20 on Trevor Lyons' jumper, but Alex Dargenton's free throws sparked a 10-5 run and Utah State led 29-25 at halftime after holding the Falcons to 33.3 percent shooting, including 1 of 15 from 3.
Quinn Taylor scored 13 points for the Aggies (11-11, 4-5 Mountain West Conference), who are 10-0 at home.
Ryan Swan led the Falcons (8-11, 2-5) with 10 points.
Game Information
- Referees:
- Michael Irving
- Randy McCall
- Verne Harris
2023-24 Mountain West Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utah State | 14-4 | - | 28-7 |
| Nevada | 13-5 | 1 | 26-8 |
| Boise State | 13-5 | 1 | 22-11 |
| UNLV | 12-6 | 2 | 21-13 |
| San Diego State | 11-7 | 3 | 26-11 |
| New Mexico | 10-8 | 4 | 26-10 |
| Colorado State | 10-8 | 4 | 25-11 |
| Wyoming | 8-10 | 6 | 15-17 |
| Fresno State | 4-14 | 10 | 12-21 |
| Air Force | 2-16 | 12 | 9-22 |
| San José State | 2-16 | 12 | 9-23 |
Men's College Basketball News
