USU blows out New Mexico State 85-58 in Myrtle Beach Invitational semifinal – Cache Valley Daily
CONWAY, S. C. – Utah State will play for the Myrtle Beach Invitational Championship after blowing out New Mexico State, 85-58. Utah State played 50 minutes of basketball the day before but they didn’t show it. The Aggies were able to out-gun and outrun New Mexico State by building a large lead early in the game and utilizing bench players to give rest to their starters. Guard Rylan Jones led USU in scoring with 19 points. He also picked up four rebounds, four assists and two steals. Jones looked a lot more confident in this game than he has in the first three. He didn’t hesitate to shoot from beyond the arc, swishing five 3-pointers on six shots, but also continued his strong defense this season on the other side of the court. New Mexico State tried to limit forward Justin Bean on offense, but he still significantly helped the Aggies. Bean finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and three assists. He also led the team in plus/minus with 33. Jones credits Bean with creating chances for Utah State on offense. “They tried to take away Bean, but he was just facilitating and we were making our shots,” Jones said.