Down to 0-5
The USU’s women’s basketball team tumbled to 0-5 on the season following a disappointing 69-60 loss to Idaho State University.
Bengal senior center Natalie Doma shot her way to 26 points in the game. Leading all players in scoring, Doma also fielded 15 rebounds. Senior guard Andrea Lightfoot and junior guard Jenny Brown both brought in 15 points to add to their win.
The Aggies were able to start the first half strong, going up 3-0 within seconds. But when half time came, the Bengals led 35-25.
“We really need to get more mentally tough,” Head Coach Raegan Pebley said in a post-game radio interview after a 68-55 loss to the University of Portland on Nov. 18. “I feel like this is going to be a process for this team to develop that and grow.”
Four Aggies starters reached double figures. Senior guard Taylor Richards, junior forward Lindsey Shipley and junior guard Danyelle Snelgro all hit 13 points. Senior guard Jamelah Brown banked 12 points in her 40 minutes of play to add to the team’s total.
The teams tied at 35 points in the second half, and USU attempted to gain the lead with a 14-4 run to tie the score at 45. Following this, the lead switched teams six times.
With less than four minutes left to play, the game was tied at 56, but the Bengals pulled out the win following a number of free throws. Idaho State shot 8-for-8 from the line. Lightfoot tossed a 3-pointer helped to seal the deal. This win moves the Bengals to 4-2 on their season.
Pebley said she views each game as a learning experience. Every game lost is a jumping-off point to get better and move on, she said. The team will have to keep their mental clarity and know that they can do better, she said.
“No matter what we see, whether we’re playing against a really physical, tough team, we’re going to be OK,” Pebley said. “We’re going to be confident, and we’re still going to be able to execute what we do.”
Coming up for the Aggies is an away game schedule that takes them to Cheney, Wash., to compete against the Eastern Washington University Eagles on Dec. 2. Then Dec. 8 puts the ladies in Flagstaff, Ariz., on the home court of Northern Arizona University,
-erin.wadsworth@aggiemail.usu.edu