Gayles leads late surge, Utah State opens conference play with win over Air Force

Utah State Women’s Basketball delivered a composed, defense-first performance on Dec. 17, pulling away late to beat Air Force 65-53 at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum in its Mountain West opener.

Behind a strong start, a resilient response to third-quarter adversity and a closing surge led by Aaliyah Gayles, the Aggies improved to 5-5 overall and 1-0 in conference play. It marks Utah State’s first .500-or-better start through 10 games since the 2021 season.

Gayles finished with 19 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists, becoming the first Aggie since Shannon Dufficy in 2019 to post that stat line in a single game. She scored eight of her points in the fourth quarter as Utah State pushed a 3-point game into a comfortable win.

“Very proud of our girls,” said head coach Wesley Brooks. “I always say when you play one of the academies — whether it’s Air Force, Navy, Army — you have to be disciplined and you have to be efficient. And we were that tonight.”

Utah State controlled the tone early by attacking the paint and defending with physicality. Gayles opened the scoring on a midrange jumper after a clean look from Marina Asensio, while Sophie Sene followed with a jump hook off an offensive rebound. Elise Livingston also added early pressure in transition as the Aggies jumped out to an 18-10 lead after the first quarter.

Air Force’s top scorer, Milahnie Perry, was held scoreless in the opening frame, missing all six of her shots as Utah State’s zone defense stayed compact and active. Brooks credited his staff’s scouting and preparation for keeping the Falcons’ offense out of rhythm.

“Our staff really did a good job of preparing the team,” he said. “This is a team effort. Teamwork makes the dream work.”

The Aggies extended the lead in the second quarter with balanced offense. Sene knocked down a 3 to continue her strong shooting stretch, Paloma Muñoz Herreros added another from deep and Karyn Sanford finished through contact on a drive.

Though Utah State went scoreless for nearly four minutes late in the half, Gayles ended the drought with a buzzer-beating 3 from well beyond the arc to send the Aggies into halftime ahead 33-21.

Air Force adjusted after the break, using offensive rebounds and quicker tempo to climb back into the game. Jayda McNabb’s and-one bucket cut the lead to single digits, and the Falcons eventually tied the game at 40 late in the third quarter as Utah State struggled with turnovers and decision-making in the half court.

“It’s a conference game,” Brooks said. “Nobody’s going to go away.”

Asensio steadied the Aggies with a timely 3 just before the end of the third quarter, restoring a 43-40 lead. From there, Utah State regained control behind Gayles’ aggressiveness and renewed defensive focus.

Sanford opened the fourth quarter by drawing a foul on a strong drive, and Livingston followed with a corner 3 off a drive-and-kick from Asensio. Gayles then took over, attacking downhill for free throws before burying a 3 with 5:50 remaining to stretch the lead to 11. It wasn’t the first time Gayles had seized control in a tight fourth quarter.

“Every time we get down as a collective, I feel like I turn that switch and be like Kobe,” Gayles said. “That’s kind of my mentality.”

Sene added 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting, while Asensio finished with 8 points and 4 assists. The Aggies outrebounded Air Force 41-35 and limited the Falcons to only 2 second-chance points despite allowing 16 offensive rebounds.

The win gives Utah State a strong opening to conference play and momentum heading into a road test against preseason Mountain West-leading Colorado State.

“I believe we can play with anybody,” Brooks said. “This team has a high ceiling.”

For Utah State, Wednesday’s win reflected growth: the ability to control a game early, withstand a push and finish with poise when it mattered most.

The Aggies will look to continue their winning ways against Colorado State on Dec. 20 at 1 p.m. in Fort Collins.