Aggies 1-0 in WAC after San Jose win
Western Athletic Conference play began for the Aggies with a 68-58 defeat over San Jose State University Saturday in the Spectrum.
Spartan senior guard Natalie White’s 18 points could not stand up against the Aggies at home. USU leaps to 5-8 on the season and 1-0 in the WAC, making the hard work for this young team well worth the effort. The Spartans fall to 1-13 overall and 0-1 in the WAC.
Junior forward Lindsey Shipley toppled her previous record with a career-best 20 points to add to the Aggie win. However, the Aggies were once again out-rebounded 38-29.
The Spartans held the initial lead in the game with 11-9, but Shipley sealed a 9-3 run to give USU the lead. San Jose would never gain back any ground against the Aggie offense. Every USU player saw action off the bench, led by senior guard Taylor Richards and junior guard Danyelle Snelgro’s 30 minutes each.
USU reached a 55.3 field-goal percentage, as the Spartans stayed at a 36.8 percent. The Aggies will remain at home to host the University of Hawaii in their second WAC competition on Wednesday in the Spectrum.
USU v. Southern Utah University
The Aggies defeated Southern Utah University in their lowest-scoring game of the season, 58-34.
Senior guard Jamelah Brown led the Aggies with 13 points as USU moved to 4-8 on the season.
USU let out its spark in the first half as it opened with a 3-pointer by Brown. The next minutes exploded with Aggie clout, as the lead reached 14 points with less than five minutes to play.
Halftime came with a 27-19 Aggie lead. USU found a 37.9 percent from the field to be enough to beat the Thunderbirds’ 26.1 percent. The Thunderbirds made it to within 10 in the second half but were unable to bring the Aggies down.
USU made its way to a 21-point lead following a 16-5 blast. In the end, the Aggies dominated and left the Thunderbirds sulking in the southern home.
USU v. Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University defeated USU 70-64 in the Spectrum Dec. 29.
The Aggies fell to 3-8 on the season as three players scored in double digits. Senior guards Jamelah Brown and Taylor Richards, along with freshman guard Jade Hatchett, all banked 11 points for the team total.
The lady Cougars led off the first half, but the lead changed multiple times before the half came with 34-29 BYU lead. BYU made 50 percent from the field, but USU fought to stay alive with a 31.3 percent.
USU sparked the second half with Brown’s 3-pointer, but BYU beat back the Aggie attempt to find the lead. The Cougars went 54.2 percent to conclude the game, while USU stayed behind with 34.8 percent.
Cougar senior guard Mallary Carling netted 19 points and seven rebounds to lead her team to the win.
USU v. St. Mary’s College
Spectrum play continued for the Aggies as they defeated the Gaels of St. Mary’s College 81-60.
Junior forward Lindsey Shipley banked a career-high 19-point game, as senior guard Taylor Richards added 17 points. Both junior guard Danyelle Snelgro and freshman guard Alice Coddington put in 11 points to add to the win total.
This win brought the Aggies to 3-7 on the season, collapsing a two-game losing slide. Junior guard Ana Perez sealed the first half lead with a free throw, bringing the score to 38-27 for the Aggies. USU took to the locker room with a 45.5 field-goal percentage for the opening half.
USU kept the energy up by scoring the opening second half points. The Gaels fought back, coming close, but the Aggies remained on top to finish the game with a 21-point margin.
Gael freshman forward Louella Tomlinson put in 26 points and brought down 13 rebounds for her team.
USU v. Montana State University
USU fell to the Bobcats of Montana State University 71-49 in its first game back to the Spectrum following a four-game travel schedule.
The Aggies dive to 2-7 on the season against the Bobcat’s head coach and former USU assistant coach Tricia Binford. This game marked the third win in a row for the Bobcats as they reached 5-4 on their season.
Senior guard Jamelah Brown led Aggie scoring with 12 points and nine rebounds. USU was out-rebounded once again as the Bobcats dominated 40-28.
USU stayed close in the first minutes of the game but was unable to make its way to the top as the Bobcats took a 39-26 lead at halftime. MSU managed a 65.4 shooting percentage in the first half alone.
Second-half play began in favor of the Bobcats once again, as the Aggies could pull the score no closer than 17 points. Montana State made the last five baskets of the game.
USU concluded the game with a 33.3 scoring percentage, while the Bobcats rounded out their Spectrum experience with 58 percent from the floor.
USU v. University of Utah
USU traveled to Salt Lake City to face off against the Runnin’ Utes of the University of Utah. The Aggies did not emerge victorious, falling 70-38 and moving to a heartbreaking 2-6 on the season.
Junior guard Danyelle Snelgro brought in 17 points as the lone Aggie in double figures. Utah Junior guard Morgan Warburton put up a monster 21 points and six rebounds against the Aggies. Aggie freshman guard Alice Coddington enriched her team contribution with three assists, the highest in her USU career.
The Utes remained untouched throughout the first half. The Aggies pulled within three when senior center Jenny Gross scored a needed layup, but the ladies were unable to bring the lead. Halftime came with a large 31-17 Utah lead. This outcome represented the entire game as the Utes began the second half with a 28-6 run.
The Aggies finished the game with a 28.6 shooting percentage compared to Utah’s 50.9 percent. However, both teams tied at 66.7 percent from the free-throw line. The Utes moved to 7-3 on their season.
USU vs. Northern Arizona University
The USU ladies followed up their first win of the regular season, 74-55 against Eastern Washington University, with another jump in the standings.
The Aggies rose to 2-5 on the season in a 65-51 victory over the Northern Arizona University Lumberjacks. Led by junior guard Danyelle Snelgro, who banked 13 points, senior guard Jamelah Brown and sophomore center Nicole Johnson both brought in 11 scores.
First-half scoring resulted in nine lead changes. With five minutes left, the Aggies reached a 20-16 lead and held on for a 24-21 halftime lead.
Brown found her groove early in the second half, putting in three baskets from behind the 3-point line before the 10-minute mark. The Lumberjacks attempted to regain a lead, shortening the deficit to 10 points, but were unable to hang on. The Aggies went up 20 points with less than two minutes to play.
Junior center for the Lumberjacks, Ashley Ingle, found a double-double in her team’s loss, scoring 14 points and pulling down 12 rebounds. USU shot a 41.3 field-goal percentage, along with a 47.1 3-point percentage, although the Lumberjacks worked their way to a 44-29 rebounding win.
– erin.wadsworth@aggiemail.usu.edu