USU women fight long odds in battle for tourney
Nobody really expected the Utah State women’s basketball team to be where it is at this point in the season – fighting for the last spot in the Big West Tournament.
Since USU had a newly reinstated program and a young team, BWC media and coaches predicted the Aggies would be at the bottom of the conference, with no chance at all of making it to postseason play in Anaheim.
The team and coaches, who knew their talents a little bit better, had a goal of reaching top four in conference.
Neither of the predictions came true. The Aggie women are neither at the bottom of the conference nor in the top four, but they aren’t in the tournament yet.
Right now the Aggies are in ninth place in the conference, and only eight teams go to the tournament.
“We really want the tournament,” said Aggie Ali Aird.
However, with the season so close to an end, postseason play doesn’t look like it’s on the horizon for these women.
The Aggies needed to win their last couple of games in order to move up to eighth. But they lost to Long Beach State last Thursday night.
That puts the Aggies in a must-win situation against UC Irvine and Idaho to make it to the tourney.
The women stepped it up Saturday night at the Spectrum against Irvine, defeating the Anteaters 61-46, in a game they dominated from the beginning. It is between the Anteaters and the Aggies to go to the tournament.
It comes down to these last few games. Irvine must lose their last two games against UC Santa Barbara, the No. 1 team in the conference, and to Cal Poly. Although Cal Poly has already clinched a berth in the tournament, Irvine has the capability to beat them. USU beat them earlier in the season.
After defeating the Anteaters, the Aggies were excited and confident. They were one win closer to Anaheim. But they still have to face Idaho.
Idaho is the No. 2 team in the conference right now, barely. Pacific still has a chance to come out ahead of Idaho. So the Vandals won’t be treating their game against the Aggies lightly. If Idaho loses at the Spectrum Friday, they may lose their chance to have a bye the first round of the tournament.
If Irvine and Utah State finish in a tie, Irvine wins the tie-breaker. Because their records are the same, average margin of victory determines who goes. Irvine easily has Utah State beat.
Although the Aggies still have a chance to make it to Anaheim, the pieces of the puzzle are going to have to fall in place perfectly in order for them to go.
-aedmunds@cc.usu.edu