Aggies drop third game in conference play
LOGAN – Utah State University (3-9, 0-3 MW) took on San José State (5-8, 1-1 MW) today at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. USU ultimately lost 69-54 to the Spartans. Spartan Jyah LoVett led both teams with 21 points. Cheyenne Stubbs led the Aggies with 17 points.
USU started Stubbs, Ivory Finley, Macy Smith, Lauren Crocker, and Tiarra Hill-Brown. SJS started Lovett, Sabrina Ma, Nailea Nicholas, Alani Fluker and Amhyia Moreland.
Stubbs opened up the scoring for the Aggies with a hard drive through the SJS defense for a layup. Finley scored a three to extend the Aggie’s lead, with an assist by Stubbs.
Hill-Brown fought hard in the paint to score a layup under the basket. Lovett scored a deep three for SJS to make the scoreline 8-5 for the Aggies.
Smith scored a jump shot to give the Spartans the lead. Then Stubbs connected with Bridget Mullings for a layup under the basket to even the score at 10-10.
Spartan Sydni Summers put SJS on an 8-0 run after scoring a 3-pointer.
Lovett scored a three at the buzzer to finish out the first quarter, giving the Spartans an 18-12 lead.
Samiana Suguturaga scored a second chance attempt for USU to open the scoring in the second quarter.
Summers scored a deep three pointer, capping an 8-0 run to extend the Spartan lead over the Aggies to 26-14. USU called a timeout.
Stubbs scored a 3-pointer, and Crocker denied a layup attempt by Lovett.
Stubbs immediately scored a layup through the whole SJS defense and got the crowd cheering. Then Ma scored a 3-pointer to make the score 33-24 in favor of the Spartans.
Suguturaga and Smith combined for three points at the free throw line to close out the second quarter. The scoreline was 33-27 with SJS in front.
Halftime stats:
USU shot 36.3% from the field compared to SJS who shot 48.1%.
USU shot 18% from the 3-point line compared to SJS who shot 63.6%.
USU led the half with 3 blocks.
USU led on turnovers with 12 compared to 7 from SJS.
Stubbs opened up the scoring in the third with a 1-2 trip to the free throw line. The Spartans went on a 6-0 run over the next 1:37 to make their lead 39-28.
Smith scored a three at the 6:35 mark for USU. Lovett scored a three in response.
Suguturaga scored off a blocked shot from Mullings. Mullings scored a pick and roll layup assisted by Stubbs to bring the Aggies within nine points.
Lovett scored a layup for the Spartans that would end the third quarter with a scoreline of 49-38.
Moreland opened the scoring in the fourth with a 1-2 trip to the free throw line.
Lovett scored a three pointer for SJS. Then Livia Knapp scored a layup to cap a 4-0 run for USU.
Stubbs scored a three pointer for the Aggies to make the scoreline 59-45.
USU scored a combined total of five free throws and SJS scored 10 as both teams got caught up in foul trouble at the 2:15 mark. The game ended with a 69-54 scoreline.
“We need to make more shots, and we got to take control of the basketball,” said USU head coach Kayla Ard in response to the loss.
Ard appreciated the effort from her team and said the major key that needs to be addressed before the next game is keeping the ball safe.
“We turned it over 22 times, and they had 23 points off of our turnovers,” she said.
The Aggies are back in action Wednesday, Jan. 10 as they travel south to take on the New Mexico Lobos (10-4, 0-1 MW).