Season-ending loss: Ag women fall to Idaho in WAC tourney
It was a fitting end to a difficult season for the Utah State women’s basketball team.
With only three Western Athletic Conference wins going into the tournament, it was just one more loss.
The Aggies fell in the first round of the WAC tournament to the Idaho Vandals 59-70 in Reno, Nv.. The Aggies closed out the season with a 3-24 overall record.
With their win, the eighth-seeded Vandals will now go on to meet the top-seeded Louisiana Tech.
The top scorers for Utah State included the three seniors who all ended the game in double-figures. Jessica Freeman ended at 16 points, while Ashley Rutledge added 10 points for the Aggies and Ali Marchant also finsihed the game with 10 points.
Utah State did well the first half and went on a 6-0 run before Idaho made its first field goal of the night. The Ags lead for the rest of the first half and even went into the locker room 33-35 over Idaho.
Going into the second half, Leilani Mitchell made a lay-up to tie the game. Mitchell was Idaho’s leading scorer with 24 points.
Karly Felton followed Mitchell’s lay-up with the second to give Idaho its first lead of the game.
Freeman answered back with her own lay-up to tie it up again. Freeman also had nine rebounds and four blocks for the night.
After her lay-up, it was a back and forth battle for the teams as they took turns leading the game.
But then the Vandals went on an 8-0 run to help them take the lead … and keep it. A lay-up by Marchant gave the Aggies a glimmer of hope but Idaho quickly came back with a 3-pointer. The Aggies just couldn’t pull out of that rut.
While the Aggies did beat Idaho in their field goal percentage, shooting 49 percent to Idaho’s 44 percent, they couldn’t pull out the free-throws. USU shot 60 percent from the line while Idaho shot 91 percent.
Turnovers were also a problem for the Aggies as they ended at 18 while Idaho only had half of that.
The Aggies’ season is over for now but will be back next year for its fourth year since reinstatement.
-vramirez@usu.edu