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Tim Duryea didn't hold back. The first 20 minutes, in which Utah State allowed 57 points on the road at Wyoming on Wednesday, was "an inexplicable first-half defensive performance."
The Aggies, he said, "couldn't have been any softer."
The 95-87 loss to the Cowboys in Laramie was the most points allowed by Utah State (8-8, 2-3) this season. It brought the Aggies — who had been riding high from impressive back-to-back wins at home the previous week — back down to earth a bit.
Utah State now heads to Southern California to face San Diego State (9-7, 1-3) on Saturday night with Duryea and his team circling defensive issues as a necessary fix if the Aggies want to pull back to .500 in Mountain West Conference play.
"We've got to pare down what we do defensively for this game," Duryea said. "Clear their heads a little bit. See if we can play faster, play harder and play more clear-headed on the defensively end. It is a must. That is what we have to do. We can't wait until halftime to start guarding somebody."
Whether the Aggies have to worry about Aztec star Malik Pope remains to be seen. The 6-foot-10 junior forward missed his sixth straight game in SDSU's 76-61 win over San Jose State on Wednesday. Pope has missed nine of SDSU's 16 games this year.
"He is long and gives them more size. He gives them some punch from the perimeter," Duryea said. "I don't know his status for sure, but we'll prepare as though he is going to play."
Utah State struggled to guard the 3-point line at Wyoming, allowing the Cowboys to get several open looks and eventually drain 13 3-pointers. Lately, the Aztecs have been firing away from distance, too.
The Aztecs are attempting 24 3-pointers a game — tied for second most in the MWC. Duryea attributed that development to SDSU going smaller with big man Max Hoetzel playing forward to help stretch the floor.
"We are playing very well offensively," Duryea said. "But you cannot win on the road with the attitude that we are going to outscore our opponent and get in a shootout and win. Maybe at home you can fall into that every now and again, but on the road at this level, you can't have that mentality."
Twitter: @chriskamrani —
Utah State at San Diego State
P At Viejas Arena, San Diego, Calif.
Tipoff • 8 p.m.
Online streaming • ESPN3
Radio • 610 AM, 1280 AM, 102.1 FM
Records • Utah State 8-8, 2-3; SDSU 9-7, 1-3
Last meeting • SDSU won 71-65 (March 10, 2016 in Las Vegas)
About the Aggies • Senior forward Jalen Moore has scored in double figures in 29 straight games. … Moore moved to No. 15 on the USU all-time scoring list with 1,399 points, passing Dan Conway (1986-89, 1,398). … Utah State fell to 22-6 all-time under Coach Tim Duryea when scoring 70 points or more in its loss to Wyoming on Wednesday. … Utah State returns home Jan. 21 against Colorado State following the conclusion of this two-game conference road trip.
About the Aztecs • San Diego State snapped a three-game losing streak in its 76-61 win over San Jose State on Wednesday. … SDSU ranks eighth nationally in 3-point percentage in conference games. … Junior forward Malik Pope (knee) remains questionable. … SDSU has lost 20 games to injury this season. … Jeremy Hemsley (16.2 PPG) and Trey Knell (12.7 PPG) pace the Aztec offense.