LOGAN, Utah – Relying heavily on the extra man advantage provided by the home crowd, Utah State defeated San Diego State 70-54.

All game long, the crowd at the Spectrum was raucous. The result was well, magical, as the Aggies improved to 13-1 at home on the season.

The win was the program’s first victory over San Diego State since joining the conference in 2013-14 and sets up for a championship game of sorts against No. 12 ranked Nevada on Saturday. The victory gives the Aggies a 23-6 record overall and a 13-3 mark in conference play. Due to having played more games than Nevada, Utah State currently sits atop the Mountain West Conference standings.

That WAS #SpectrumMagic!!#AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/frSLpYl8AO

— USU Men's Hoops (@USUBasketball) February 27, 2019

Ahead of the matchup against the Aztecs, Utah State head coach Craig Smith implored the Aggie faithful to bring the “magic” to the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.

“Let’s get the Spectrum rocking on Tuesday night, first and foremost. Let’s bring the electricity. There’s no doubt that fan support and getting a sellout have a direct impact on winning,” said Smith during his press availability on Monday.

As Smith was seen giving hugs and high fives to the student section after the game, his appreciation for the home crowd was palpable.

Safe to say @USUBasketball fans are excited for that W pic.twitter.com/wb4D7wU32s

— Mountain West (@MountainWest) February 27, 2019

Throughout the contest, it was clear that the crowd was having an impact, especially when the Aggies were on defense. The numbers in the box score backed up the effect that the rowdy crowd had on the San Diego State offense.

The Aztecs were forced into 10 turnovers and shot a lowly 35.2 percent from the field.

In contrast, the Aggies were strong with the ball, turning it over only six times all night while shooting at a 42.9 percent clip.

The @USUBasketball team is en fuego right now 🔥🔥🔥…and the Spectrum is rockin like old times. 👊🏼👊🏼👊🏼

— Spencer Cox (@SpencerJCox) February 27, 2019

Sam Merrill led the Aggies with 19 points despite not having a great night shooting the ball. The junior guard shot just 6-for-20 while going 1-for-9 from beyond the arc.

Quinn Taylor also chipped in 13 points and completed a double-double with 11 rebounds.

Next Up

Utah State will host the Nevada Wolf Pack with huge season-defining implications on the line on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network.