LOGAN, Utah -- Sam Merrill had a game-high 21 points to lead No. 17/19 Utah State to an 82-50 win over UTSA men's basketball, on Monday night at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.
Utah State (5-0) used another strong performance from Merrill – a preseason pick to win national player of the year – to post the win. Utah State did significant damage on the offensive glass, totaling a 38-8 advantage in second-chance points, including a 24-0 mark in the second half.
UTSA (0-5) was held to 28.8 percent shooting from the field and were 7 of 30 from 3-point land. Utah State finished shooting 46.6 percent from the field and 9 of 31 from 3-point land. The Aggies owned a 46-16 advantage in points in the paint and a 55-36 margin in rebounding.
The Roadrunners were led by 15 points and three rebounds from junior guard Jhivvan Jackson, with freshman Erik Czumbel adding 12 points and two boards, and junior guard Keaton Wallace owning 10 points and four rebounds. Senior Atem Bior added nine rebounds.
UTSA will return to action on Friday, hosting Wiley College in the home opener for the 2019-20 season at the Convocation Center. The game will be broadcast live on CUSA TV and will be on radio on the Roadrunners Sports Network, with the Voice of UTSA, Andy Everett, calling the action on goUTSA.com and The Bull 93.3/92.5.
Utah State wasted little time taking an early lead, getting three 3-pointers out of Merrill in the first three minutes of the game, forcing a UTSA timeout. UTSA took a 13-6 hole into the first media timeout as Jackson used an offensive rebound put-back and a take to the rim, along with a banked in jumper from Wallace in transition.
The Roadrunners answered out of the timeout, ripping off a 10-0 run to take a 16-13 lead and force a timeout from the Aggies. A pair of big baskets from Germany, and deep 3-pointers from Jackson and Czumbel spurred the run.
The Aggies answered with a 14-0 run over the next three minutes, taking a 27-16 lead before Barisic stepped out to drill a 3-pointer. A fourth 3-pointer from Merrill pushed the Aggies to a 34-23 lead at the final media timeout of the half. The Roadrunners were able to get a step-back jumper from Jackson and Czumbel drilled his second 3-pointer but Merrill answered with a trey to end the half with a 41-29 lead. UTSA shot just 29.7 percent from the field in the first half, while the Aggies shot 42.9 percent and was 6-of-13 from 3-pointer land.
Merrill opened the second stanza with a mid-range jumper and Jackson answered at the other end with a driving layup. Justin Bean responded with a basket to take the USU lead to 14 with 18 minutes left. Wallace used a pair of buckets – a step-back jumper and a 3-pointer on the wing – to cut the USU lead to 47-36 at the first media break.
Czumbel hit his third 3-pointer to cut the lead to 49-39, but Utah State used six straight points off the offensive glass to build a 55-41 lead at the second media break. Utah State used another offensive rebound to sink a 3-pointer from Brock Miller and a turnover lifted the Aggies run to 7-0 and a 62-43 lead as the Roadrunners were forced to burn a timeout. USU continued to press the gas pedal down and was able to stretched the lead out to 20-plus in the final 10 minutes.
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