San Jose, Calif.-----Utah State swingman Spencer Butterfield had game-high totals of 22 points and 10 rebounds leading the Aggies to a 63-36 Western Athletic Conference men's basketball victory.

            The win for Utah State (17-5, 8-4 WAC) was its third in a row and 12th consecutive over the Spartans (9-14, 3-9 WAC).

            For Butterfield, it was his fifth straight game in double figures for points and rebounds. The 6-foot-3 junior was 9-of-11 from the field and made all three of his 3-point basket tries.

            San Jose State scored a season low in its eighth loss in a row. The Spartans shooting problems continued. For the 11th game in a row, the Spartans failed to convert 50 percent of their field goal tries with its 26.5 field goal percentage.

           "We're in a three-to-four week stretch where we are not hitting two jump shots in a row. You cannot win basketball games that way," said San Jose State head coach George Nessman.

            Utah State shot 51.9 percent from the field and 47.1 percent from three-point range. The Aggies also had a decided rebounding advantage, 38-24.

            D.J. Brown led San Jose State in scoring with 16 points. Forward Chris Cunningham added 10 and a team-best nine rebounds.

            "We're just not shooting well. There's effort. We're just going to keep working. We're not going to stop," said Brown, who scored in double-figures for the third game in a row.

             Nessman also announced that guard James Kinney is supended for the remainder of the season. Kinney played in 14 of the first 15 games and was averaging 20.6 points a game.

             "No question, his absence affected our team in powerful ways. When you have a player who is an elite scorer, the game gets easier for everybody else. Now, the game is harder on everybody else. James had success as a Division I player and that's another factor," said the San Jose State head coach. "You can't ignore the elephant in the room. It's obvious. 'When did they start struggling?' You put two-and-two together and you get four."