Merrill drops 37 PTs and Utah St. dumps Montana St. by 30
BOZEMAN, Mont. -- Sam Merrill scored a career-high 37 points and Utah State smothered Montana State 101-71 in the season opener for both teams Tuesday night.
In the coaching debut of Utah State's Craig Smith, Merrill had the ninth-highest scoring total by a visiting player in the history of Worthington Arena. The Aggies missed just three of 26 free throw attempts in the contest.
Utah State overwhelmed the Bobcats on the glass by a 51-25 margin. The Aggies collared 16 offensive rebounds and converted them into 17 points.
The Aggies slowly built their lead and led 29-19 with 7:40 to play before halftime. Montana State trimmed the margin to six twice, but Utah State closed the half by scoring on three straight possessions to grab a 50-34 advantage. Dwayne Brown Jr. scored 15 points for Utah State.
Tyler Hall led the Bobcats with 15 points and Harald Frey scored 13.
Game Information
- Referees:
- Ronnie Hernandez
- Casey McClellan
- Nate Harris
2024-25 Mountain West Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | 8-1 | - | 16-4 |
| Utah State | 7-1 | 0.5 | 17-2 |
| Colorado State | 6-2 | 1.5 | 12-7 |
| San Diego State | 5-3 | 2.5 | 12-5 |
| UNLV | 5-3 | 2.5 | 11-8 |
| Boise State | 5-4 | 3 | 13-7 |
| Nevada | 3-5 | 4.5 | 11-8 |
| Wyoming | 3-5 | 4.5 | 10-9 |
| San José State | 2-6 | 5.5 | 9-11 |
| Fresno State | 1-7 | 6.5 | 5-14 |
| Air Force | 0-8 | 7.5 | 3-16 |
2024-25 Big Sky Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Colorado | 6-0 | - | 14-5 |
| Montana | 5-2 | 1.5 | 12-8 |
| Portland State | 3-2 | 2.5 | 11-7 |
| Idaho State | 3-2 | 2.5 | 8-8 |
| Idaho | 3-3 | 3 | 8-11 |
| Montana State | 3-4 | 3.5 | 8-12 |
| Northern Arizona | 2-4 | 4 | 11-8 |
| Eastern Washington | 2-4 | 4 | 6-13 |
| Weber State | 1-4 | 4.5 | 7-12 |
| Sacramento State | 1-4 | 4.5 | 5-13 |
Men's College Basketball News
