Ashworth, Aggies show out offensively in win over Weber State
Utah State dominated in-state opponent Weber State 95-80 on Wednesday night to move to 8-3 on the season. Steven Ashworth led all scorers with a career-high 27 points coming on 9-17 shooting and four assists. Brandon Horvath and Brock Miller also contributed significantly with 20 points each.
Ashworth would be a menace for the Aggies all night, especially from beyond the three-point line, where he knocked down seven triples throughout the game. Lined up playing man-to-man defense, Ashworth had the tall task of guarding Weber State’s Koby McEwan. The former Aggie led the Wildcats scoring 26 points and had Ashworth chasing him around all evening.
On a night where Justin Bean didn’t have his typical game, having three players in double digits was crucial for the Aggies. Bean ended the game with just two points after exiting with an ankle sprain with 14:10 left in the game.
Rylan Jones would also leave late in the second half with an injury after hitting his head on a harsh fall. Coach Ryan Odom did not have an update on either player and said they would evaluate both of them Thursday morning before determining their availability for Saturday’s game.
The Aggies got a quick start, going on a 10-0 run fueled by a pair of three-pointers from Miller and Jones. An impressive first half saw Utah State hit ten threes on a whopping 66% three-point shooting. The offensive display would put the Aggies up 59-44 at the break.
They continued to pour it on in the second half, finding themselves with a 27-point lead with six minutes left in the game, their largest lead of the night. Ninety-five points is a season-high for the Aggies, coming on a night when their top scorer had his lowest point total of the season.
Utah State guard Steven Ashworth (3) dribbles the ball as Weber State forward Dyson Koehler (44) defends Wednesday in Ogden.
With Bean exiting early and not having his usual impact, the load shifted to Horvath to pick up the slack down low. Horvath led the Aggies with 12 points in the second half and 14 rebounds throughout the game.
“[Horvath’s] a huge key for us,” Ashworth said after the game. “[Horvath] took some responsibility when we couldn’t have Bean out there in those last few minutes. It’s always fun playing with a guy like Brandon.”
A big key to Wednesday night’s victory was Utah State’s ability to stretch the floor and move the ball well. Utah State ended the night with 23 team assists coming from various players.
“You want to make sure you have space, and you want to make sure you’re moving [the ball] and forcing the defense to shift,” Odom explained after the game. “Drive and kick game is very important to how we play, and you have to have space in order to do that.”
Utah State will travel to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on Saturday to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes at 7:00 pm.