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Colorado Springs • On a 20-degree afternoon at the Air Force Academy, the hottest team in the Mountain West Conference kept rolling.

Freshman Julion Pearre scored a career-high 21 points, and Chris Smith added 16 despite early foul trouble Saturday, leading Utah State to a 74-60 victory over the Falcons.

The Aggies won their sixth straight game — the longest current streak in the Mountain West. They improved to 18-10 overall and 11-5 in league play, thanks to a balanced attack.

David Collette contributed 13 points. Jalen Moore added 10 points and 10 rebounds. Sean Harris, the Aggies' lone senior, came off the bench and finished with six points, eight rebounds, two blocks and two steals.

Utah State started slowly against Air Force, which honored six seniors before its final game at Clune Arena.

The Aggies converted only two of their first 10 possessions, and Smith, their No. 3 scorer, picked up two fouls in the opening three minutes.

The Falcons built a 10-6 lead before Utah State's offense, which averaged 79.8 points in the previous four games, finally began to click.

Pearre scored seven points during a 13-2 run that gave the Aggies a 19-12 lead. It was 30-18 with 2:28 left in the half, but, down the stretch, Utah State missed three shots and committed a turnover. The Aggies led 30-21 at half.

"It's never easy on the road," coach Stew Morrill said. "You have to hang in there mentally and play together and play through some adversity. That's just the nature of being on the road."

In the second half, Air Force opened with four straight points and Collette quickly picked up his third foul. Leading 30-25, Utah State's situation seemed precarious, but the Aggies responded.

Smith buried two 3-pointers during an 11-4 run, and USU bumped its lead back to 41-29 with 13:36 left in the game. Air Force never got closer than eight, but the Aggies didn't seal their victory until late.

Leading 53-45, Collette spun inside for a layup and Smith converted a three-point play. Collette added two free throws as Utah State built a 60-45 lead with 3:40 left.

"It's always a chore when you play them, and it's even more of a chore when you play them in Colorado Springs," Morrill said. "They run [their] system exceedingly well. … It's a very good way to play basketball, that's for sure. They can give you fits with it."

Hayden Graham led Air Force with 16 points and 12 rebounds, but the Falcons slipped to 13-15 and 6-11 in the Mountain West. —

Storylines

R Freshman Julion Pearre scores 21 points to lead Utah State

• Chris Smith adds 16 points as Aggies roll to the longest streak in the Mountain West.

• Utah State improves to 18-10 overall and 11-5 in the Mountain West.