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Irvine, Calif. • For the 22nd time in the last 23 years, Utah State won its men's basketball season opener.
Senior Jalen Moore scored 22 points and freshman guard Koby McEwen added 11 on Friday night, leading the Aggies to a 72-56 victory over UC Irvine.
Senior Shane Rector and junior college transfer Norbert Janicek added 10 points each as the Aggies cruised past the Anteaters, who defeated them last season in Logan, 73-63.
Utah State started quickly in the rematch.
McEwen buried a three-pointer only 20 seconds into the game and the Aggies built a 14-9 lead with 12:30 remaining in the first half.
Three empty possessions allowed Irvine to battle back, however, and the Anteaters grabbed a 15-14 lead on a jump hook by 7-foot-2 center Ioannis Dimakopoulos.
At the point, Utah State's defense began to dominate.
Irvine converted only one of its next 15 possessions during a 22-3 blitz by the Aggies. Moore scored eight points during the run and Julion Pearre added four as Utah State opened a 36-18 lead with 2:16 left in the half.
The Anteaters got as close as 12 in the final minute, but Moore made two free throws and Alexis Dargenton added two more. The Aggies took a 40-24 lead at intermission and UC Irvine never got closer in the second half.