Utah St. @ Saint Mary's preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 19, 2018 ) St. Mary's 63, Utah St. 80

Off to its best start since 1961, No. 15 Utah State looks to remain unbeaten Friday when the Aggies visit Saint Mary’s. The Aggies are holding opponents to 57.7 points per game during their 7-0 start but figure to be tested by the veteran Gaels, who scored 107 points in last Sunday’s 51-point win over Sonoma State.

Senior guard Sam Merrill is averaging 16.6 points while shooting 51.5 percent from 3-point range to lead Utah State, which claimed the Jamaica Classic title last week with victories over LSU and North Texas. Junior forward Alphonso Anderson was named to the Jamaica Classic all-tournament team after averaging 21.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in the two wins while sophomore Justin Bean received MVP honors after averaging 14 points and 12.5 rebounds. Merrill and starting point guard Abel Porter both played through ankle injuries in Sunday’s 68-59 win over North Texas and hope to be at full strength for Friday’s matchup. Saint Mary’s has won five in a row by an average of 24.2 points following a two-point loss to Winthrop on Nov. 11.

TV: 11:30 p.m. ET, ESPNU

ABOUT UTAH STATE (7-0): The Aggies have outrebounded each of their first seven opponents and boast a rebounding advantage of plus-12.5 despite playing without injured sophomore center Neemias Queta, the reigning Mountain West defensive player of the year. Eight players are averaging at least 10 minutes for the Aggies – including senior guard Diogo Brito, who leads the Mountain West with 2.3 steals per game. The defense has also received a spark from 7-2 junior center Kuba Karwowski, who has started all seven games and has a team-high 12 blocks.

ABOUT SAINT MARY’S (6-1): The Gaels’ stellar backcourt is led by senior Jordan Ford, who averages a team-high 20.7 points and scored 22 points against Sonoma State for his fourth straight game with 20 or more points. Coach Randy Bennett received a welcome boost from 7-3 center Aaron Menzies, who made his first career start for the Gaels and recorded nine points and seven rebounds in 13 minutes. Saint Mary’s is shooting 55 percent overall and 49 percent from 3-point range during its five-game winning streak.

TIP-INS

1. Utah State holds a 6-4 lead in the all-time series and rolled to an 80-63 victory in the last meeting on Nov. 19, 2018.

2. Saint Mary’s is 172-22 in McKeon Pavilion over the last 11 seasons.

3. Utah State is 31-2 under head coach Craig Smith when leading at the half.

PREDICTION: Saint Mary’s 69, Utah State 66