Aggie women fall at Irvine
Turnovers.
Fouls.
Eleven percent shooting.
These are just a few of the things that gave Utah State’s women’s basketball team its third loss in a row at UC Irvine, 66-45.
Freshman guard Terrin Johnston had one of the best games of her career, stepping up in place of injured Camille Brox. Johnston played nearly the entire game, staying in for 32 minutes. She went 2-for-2 from behind the arc and 2-for-3 from the line for eight points. Johnston only allowed two turnovers while she was in the game, something that was all too rare for the Aggies in the game.
From the start, nothing went right for the Aggies as they faced off against the Anteaters. In the first half USU made only two field goals in the entire 20 minutes. They were shooting only 11 percent from the floor for most of the first half until Brittany Hagen made the second field goal for the Aggies and brought their percentage up to 16.7 for the first half.
The Aggies barely hung on in the game by going 11-of-12 from the line. Their 15 points were the lowest that the Aggies have ever scored in a half.
Although the Anteaters had almost double the points the Aggies had in the first half, they weren’t too pretty on offense either, shooting only 30 percent for the first half for 27 points.
The real trouble for the Aggies came when they couldn’t hold onto the ball. The Aggies, who have outrebounded their opponents in the last four games, couldn’t pull down an offensive board to save themselves. Turnovers hung over the team every time they got the ball, giving it back to the Anteaters 24 times.
Fouls were also another factor that USU had trouble dealing with. Leading scorer Ali Aird fouled out of the game with over seven minutes left, and the Aggies struggled without her.
Christina Zdenek scored seven points, all in the second half.
UC Irvine had some players performing far and beyond their normal showing.
Laura Yadon, who previously averaged only five points a game had 12 points. Christina Callaway scored in double figures as well, putting up 10 points for the Anteaters.
The real surprise came from Joanna Usher’s 15 points. Previously Usher only averaged three points in a game.
USU continues its road trip Saturday at Long Beach State.
-aedmunds@cc.usu.edu