Utah State basketball: Aggies take to road against tough Fresno State

LOGAN — After a 68-59 victory over Boise State in a battle for first place in the Western Athletic Conference men's basketball race, the Utah State Aggies will continue their road trip tonight when they face the Fresno State Bulldogs.

This will mark the first time the Aggies have played two games on the road in the same week since early December, when they earned a split on their road trip to Denver and Georgetown.

Head coach Stew Morrill is anxious to see what kind of energy the Aggies will bring on the road.

"I will be real interested to see what we are all about Saturday night on the road. Three straight road games and two straight weeks on the road, Fresno will be playing their first game of the week at home," Morrill said. "Will we be able to compete and match up and match their intensity and all that will go on that night?"

Fresno State is coming into the game sporting a 3-1 conference record and will have had a week off to rest and prepare for the Aggies since losing at New Mexico State 80-68 last Saturday.

"They've had all week off and they are going to be rested," Morrill said after the victory against Boise on Thursday. "We are going to take two flights tomorrow. I don't know if there will be any weather issues, but I've heard they are getting a lot of snow in Utah."

The Aggies took an afternoon flight back to Salt Lake City on Friday and then made a connecting flight to Fresno, Calif.

When the Aggies do finally make it to California, they will be looking for a full 40-minute effort.

"A couple of games we have come out, started good, but then we relax and the other team comes back," Aggie point guard Brockeith Pane said. "It's just something we have to get better at as a team. We just got to put two halves together and play all 40 minutes."

The Aggies will also be looking for better execution against Fresno State, especially against full-court pressure. Utah State turned over the ball a season-high 22 times against Boise State, and can expect to see a lot more full-court pressure in upcoming games until they prove they can break it.

The Aggies will also look for a better game from their superstar Tai Wesley. Boise State game-planned to take Wesley out of the game, and consequently Wesley scored a season-low six points. Wesley did contribute in non-scoring ways, grabbing seven rebounds and dishing out three assists, and was a crucial piece in the team's press-breaking efforts.

Going back to last season, Utah State has won 18 consecutive WAC games, which is the second-longest streak in school history. The Aggies' 15-2 record to start the season is also the sixth-best start in school history.

Aggies on the air

Utah State (15-2, 4-0 WAC) at Fresno State (7-7, 3-1)

Today, 9:15 p.m.

Save Mart Center, Fresno, Calif.

TV: none Radio: 1320 AM, 610 AM, 95.9 FM