Shulga, Aggies rout Portland State to close out non conference play
Utah State unveiled their brand new pewter jerseys in their 81-62 win over the Portland State Vikings. The Aggies advance to 9-4 on the season, wrapping nonconference play just in time for Christmas.
Max Shulga found his way into the starting lineup taking Brock Miller’s place; who did not play with a back injury. Shulga welcomed himself to the starting lineup with a stellar performance, so stellar in fact, that he accidentally knocked down a three pointer from half court while trying to assist Brandon Horvath. Shulga had 18 points in his first game as a starter and added 7 rebounds, three assists, and two steals to his line. He led the team in steals and was the second-leading scorer.
Number 2️⃣ on SportsCenter … Number 1️⃣ in our hearts! #AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/JJqcMeOo2L
— USU Men’s Hoops (@USUBasketball) December 22, 2021
Rylan Jones pitched in with his usual assist-heavy gameplay and dished out a game-high of eight assists. He also grabbed four rebounds and snatched two steals to go with his three points.
Justin Bean was the leading scorer with 29 points. He completed the second half of his double-double with 12 rebounds. He topped that off with a steal and was a perfect 5-5 shooting from behind the arc.
Bean wasn’t the only one finding success from three-point land. The Aggies shot 12-21 for three. The palindrome was good for 57% which was better than their 50% from the charity stripe.
Utah State also dominated the glass on their way to their 19-point win. Utah State grabbed 39 rebounds compared to Portland State’s 28. 32 of Utah State’s rebounds were defensive rebounds and seven were offensive. On top of Bean’s 12 boards, nine came from Horvath, seven came from Shulga, and four from Jones.