Aggie women’s basketball blows half-time lead, falls to Lobos
In their second matchup against the University of New Mexico this season, the Utah State women’s basketball team fell to the visiting Lobos 68-58. The Lobos also won the previous game in Albuquerque, 78-67.
“Tonight there was some good I saw, but we definitely got out-shot,” said head coach Jerry Finkbeiner. Finkbeiner’s starting line-up, which is the seventh variation this season, was constructed entirely on size.
The Aggies felt the 3-ball early, scoring 9 of their first 13 points from the promised land. Sophomore guard Rachel Brewster got the long-distance shooting started with a 3-pointer falling as the shot clock buzzed. An 0-for-8 stretch from the field spanning half the quarter hindered Utah State’s success, but after the first ten minutes of play, the Aggies led 13-11.
New Mexico put their inside-outside game on display to start the second quarter. The Lobos line-up included 6’5” Richelle van der Keijl drawing fouls and collecting rebounds, while sharpshooting guard Alex Lapeyrolerie knocked down a 3-pointer to tie the game.
After the tie, the quarter belonged to Brewster; she scored five for the Aggies during a 9-0 run to regain the lead. The Aggies would go onto lead at the half 30-24, led by Brewster’s team-high 14 points. Her four rebounds would be tied with forwards Antoina Robinson and Dee Moore.
New Mexico came out of the locker room with a vengeance, using a pair of 3-pointers in an 8-2 stretch to tie the game for the second time. Their interior playstyle drew numerous fouls on the Aggies, resulting in center Deja Mason fouling out half-way through the 3rd quarter. The Lobos would outscore the Aggies in a 17-to-3 stretch. That stretch put the Lobos up 46-33
An and-one converted by forward Hailey Bassett, Utah State found their rhythm once more. The Aggies would string points together, but a last-second 3-pointer by New Mexico’s Cherise Beynon would give her team a 49-41 heading into the final 10 minutes.
“It was just that, finally!” Brewster said, referring to the change in emotion after the Bassett basket. “Unfortunately, it didn’t work out as well as we wanted it to.”
The damage had already been done. Both the Aggies and the Lobos scored 17 in the final quarter, ending in a 68-58 Aggie loss.
Brewster would lead the Aggies in both points (22) and rebounds (6). Guard Eliza West and forward Shannon Dufficy would tie with five assists.
Sophomore guard Lizzy Klinker had nine points and played in 20 minutes of the game, both career highs. Klinker, an unusual 3-point shooter, nailed a 3-pointer with :02 remaining.
“I don’t usually shoot [3-pointers], but it just went in,” Klinker said. She also contributed her heavy minutes to just “listening to coach.”
The Aggies fall to 9-10 on the season, including a 2-6 in Mountain West conference play. They will travel to Fresno, CA to take on the Fresno State Bulldogs. Tip-off is at 3 pm.