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Two games in, two similar results. Utah State needed another second half comeback to defeat Illinois State after being down by as many as 11 in the first half. With this win, the Aggies are now 2-0 on the young season after picking up a big road win early in the season.
The team started out cold right out of the gate, shooting 24 percent from the field in the first half. But Illinois State didn't start off hot either, shooting just 32 percent in the first half. But in the second half, it was all USU. They shot 70 percent from the field, coming back to take the lead after being down by as many as 11 in the first frame. Illinois State stayed cold as they shot just 28 percent in the second frame. The Redbirds shot 32.8 percent overall while the Aggies shot 42.9 percent for the game.
David Collette had another solid outing for USU, leading the team in points with 17 on 7-of-10 shooting. Darius Perkins also came up big, scoring 14 points on 5 of 8 shooting including 3-6 from beyond the arc. For the Redbirds, Daishon Knight led all scorers with 17 points on 7 of 11 shooting. Devaug Akoon-Purcell had a double-double in this one, scoring 15 points and nabbing 10 rebounds.
For the Aggies, they are off to a good start at 2-0 on the season. They will return home to face the Santa Clara Broncos on Wednesday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. MT and the game will be televised on ROOT Sports.