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Sam Merrill scores 20 to lift Utah State past Air Force, 76-62, and it’s 20th win of the season

Utah State guard Sam Merrill (5) passes the ball as Air Force guard Caleb Morris (0) defends during an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Jan. 5, 2019, in Logan, Utah. (Eli Lucero/The Herald Journal via AP)

Colorado Springs, Colo. • Sam Merrill had 20 points as Utah State beat Air Force 76-62 on Saturday.

Neemias Queta added 17 points for Utah State (20-6, 10-3 Mountain West Conference). Diogo Brito added 11 points and 11 rebounds. Abel Porter had 10 points for the visitors.

Lavelle Scottie had 25 points for the Falcons (10-15, 5-8). Ryan Swan added 13 points and nine rebounds. Chris Joyce had seven rebounds.

“This was one of the games that, quite frankly, I’m most proud of our team on the year. It’s a difficult place to play and it was kind of a choppy game, it felt like, for a long time,” said Utah State coach Craig Smith.

The Aggies improved to 2-0 against the Falcons this season. Utah State defeated Air Force 79-62 on Jan. 5. Utah State faces New Mexico at home on Wednesday. Air Force plays Fresno State on the road on Wednesday.

“We played really hard and we knew it as going to be tough. We’ve been here before and this is really one of the toughest places to play in the league," said Brito. "We know that and other teams have felt that too. We really grinded it out and we were able to come out on top.”