Utah State flirts with the century mark in second win
Women’s basketball wiped the court clean with the College of Idaho Yotes Saturday night in the Spectrum with a final score of 99-65.
The Aggies stepped up their defense to counter the aggressive Yotes’ play, Head Coach Raegan Pebley said. Keeping up with the energy the Yotes put forth on the court, USU used its deep bench to employ each player’s talent, she said.
“I was really proud of the composure and poise, the decisions our kids made, overall,” Pebley said. “I was really happy how our players who came off the bench played. It’s not easy for a newcomer to be in their second college game and have to play that style.”
Junior guard Danyelle Snelgro gave the Aggies a jump start by scoring within the first two minutes of the first half. Snelgro would go on to post a game-high 16 points. USU gained the lead following initial Yotes’ baskets in the opening half.
The Yotes would never gain power again.
Feisty Yotes were the least of Snelgro’s worries, as USU was patient throughout the game and looked for the good shots, she said.
“The whole tempo of the game was really positive,” Snelgro said. “It’s always fun when you’re winning, and it’s even more fun when the whole team is on the same page.”
Experience from this game will help the Aggies grow toward future games, Snelgro said. When it comes down to the wire, USU will be able to take control of the situation and finish it, she added.
USU concluded the first half with a commanding 52-35 lead. Shooting a field goal percentage of 55, the Aggies hit 22 of the 40 shots they attempted. The lady Yotes made their way to the locker room with a 40.7 field-goal percentage in the opening half.
“I think we, as a team, played really well,” said sophomore center Nicole Johnson, who banked 12 points in her 17 minutes of play. “We finished what we came here to do.”
Yotes’ senior guard Whitney Clark aided her team with 14 scores, but it was not enough to keep up with the Aggies. Still in front with a 61-36 lead in the opening three minutes of the second half, USU continued on with an 11-4 scoring run to reach 88-59.
The Aggies made their way to a 34-point victory, shooting 51.4 percent in the final half. Senior guard Taylor Richards offered 12 points to the team total, along with freshman guard Alice Coddington’s 10-point contribution.
“To be able to beat a team that handedly is a credit to our team,” Pebley said. “I commend what (the College of Idaho does). It takes courage to play that style of basketball, and they play it well. They’re going to win a lot of games at their level this year.”
USU’s official season opener against the University of the Pacific is next on the schedule. The Aggies will host the Tigers in the Spectrum on Nov. 9.
“Pacific is going to force us to play an up-tempo style,” Pebley said. “They won’t have the same philosophy defensively. So we’ll need to carry over our composure to that game against Pacific.”
Aggie basketball will then go on the road against Portland State University on Nov. 16 and the University of Portland on Nov. 18.
– erin.wadsworth@aggiemail.usu.edu