Before it can attempt to win the outright Western Athletic Conference title, Utah State has a highly anticipated non-conference game this weekend.
The No. 25 Aggies look to tune up for that matchup and extend their home winning streak to 30 games when they face NAIA opponent Montana Western on Wednesday night.
Utah State (23-3) clinched at least a share of its fourth straight WAC crown with a 71-55 victory over Fresno State on Saturday. With 13 points apiece, Nate Bendall and Brian Green led four Aggies in double figures.
"This win is pretty good, but we want to win it outright. We don't want to tie," Green said.
The Aggies may get a chance to secure the outright title for a third consecutive season and avenge their only conference loss, a 64-56 defeat to Idaho last Wednesday, when they host the Vandals on Feb. 26. However, they could have the conference crown wrapped up before that game tips off if New Mexico State loses at San Jose State on Feb. 23.
First, Utah State will play a pair of non-conference games, including one at West Coast Conference leader Saint Mary's on Saturday.
Before that showdown, the Aggies will take on Montana Western (19-7), which will count the game as an exhibition.
"Honestly, it is really difficult to find a non-league game in the middle of February," Utah State coach Stew Morrill said. "I am good friends with the Frontier Conference commissioner, so I gave him a call and the Montana-Western team jumped out as a team that we could make it work with and happens to only be about four hours away."
The Bulldogs are led by Brandon Brown, averaging 19.9 points and 5.0 assists. The junior guard and his teammates now get the unenviable task of trying to snap Utah State's run at home, the third-longest active streak in the nation.
The Aggies have gone 191-13 at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum under Morrill and 92-5 against non-conference opponents. Montana Western is 8-7 on the road.
Utah State is among the nation's best defensive teams, allowing 58.3 points and 38.8 percent shooting, and it's given up 53.3 points over its last four contests. Montana Western is scoring 75.9 per game and has three players averaging in double figures.
The Bulldogs' Cody Thueringer averages 15.6 points while Tyler Hurley contributes 10.8 per contest.
Utah State won its only matchup with Montana Western 77-58 at home Nov. 12, 2007.
