Max Shulga, Trevin Dorius Help Utah State Open Homestand On High Note

LOGAN, Utah – Utah State came into the night riding a two-game losing streak, they left with a win and a pair of career-high scoring nights.

Senior center Trevin Dorius came out like a wrecking ball, bowling over Falcon defenders for seven points in the first four minutes of play.

“When things start to go your way, you start feeling good about what you’re doing,” Dorius said after the win. “Things went my way tonight. It was fun.”

MAX + TREV 💙#AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/qMg5RtzC4V

— USU Men's Hoops (@USUBasketball) February 15, 2023

After the 7’1 center got into first-half foul trouble, Max Shulga took over.

A junior out of Kyiv, Ukraine, Shulga has dealt with more than enough adversity in the past year. With family still in war-torn Ukraine, Shulga has faced taunting fans while on the road.

Somehow able to focus on playing, Shulga scored 12 first-half points, including a pair of threes.

RELATED: Pair Of Aggies Set Career-Highs In Win Over Air Force

“I thought our guys did a solid job,” head coach Ryan Odom said postgame. “Max was tremendous. Trevin was tremendous. I’m really proud of the guys and their ability to refocus after too hard losses.”

When the dust settled, Dorius scored in double-figures for the sixth time this season, finishing with a career-high 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting with seven rebounds.

🏀 Highlights from @USUBasketball Win over Air Force 👀#AtThePeak | #MWMBB | #AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/Rov8k0oIlz

— Mountain West (@MountainWest) February 15, 2023

Shulga exploded for 17 second-half points, tying a career-high with five made threes on the night. He finished with 29 points and seven rebounds.

Odom credited Shulga’s shooting stroke for the breakout performance.

“He’s been working on it after practice. On days off he’s been able to get in there and  refocus on his jump shot. He’s remained confident. His teammates have remained confident in him. So it was great to see him play the way that he did today.”

Utah State Homestand Continues

USU hosts the Nevada Wolfpack (20-6, 10-3) at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum on Saturday, February 18. Tip-off for this game is scheduled for 6 p.m. (MT).

Every Utah State basketball game can be heard on the KSL Sports Zone with Scott Garrard on the call.

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