Aggies’ comeback falls short, suffer first loss
In just their first matchup since November of 2010, the Utah State women’s basketball team lost a home match-up to the Southern Utah Thunderbirds by a final score of 70-54. The Aggies are now 3-1, while Southern Utah is 3-0.
Freshman guard Eliza West hit a three-pointer at 17 seconds, the first points of the game, that was the Aggies’ largest lead. The teams would share the same score of five for just over two minutes. The Thunderbirds nailed a three, and didn’t look back.
Utah State shot 29 percent from the field, including a five minute scoring drought. The Aggies gave up seven turnovers and an opponent field goal average of 47 percent, trailing SUU 19-13.
The second quarter carried on in a similar fashion. Southern Utah’s shooting improved to 64 percent, while Utah State’s fell to 25 percent. The Thunderbirds seemed to do no wrong, which was validated when SUU’s Rebecca Cardenas chucked up a three-pointer with the shot clock winding down, and managed to bank it off the glass and in to put the Thunderbirds up by 12.
“Things like that can kill you,” said Aggie head coach Jerry Finkbeiner of the miracle shot. “You can call it lucky, but it went in. Those are deflating.”
Finkbeiner praised Cardenas, who notched 12 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds. He also gave credit to fellow Thunderbird senior guard Jamie Smith who scored 21 points.
Southern Utah went into the half leading 39-23, outshooting the Aggies 55 percent to 27 percent.
To start the second half, Utah State featured new starters. Freshman guard Jessie Geer, who was one of those new starters, pointed out defense would be the key to a second half comeback.
“[Coach Finkbeiner] said he wanted quick guards to go in there and play great defense,” Geer said. “If we stop them, they don’t score.”
The third quarter was the highpoint for the Aggies, as they outscored SUU 19-13, and at one point, cutting the lead down to eight points. That was the closest Utah State came to Southern Utah. The Thunderbirds shot their lowest quarter percentage at 31 percent on 5-of-16 shooting.
The Aggies could not maintain their momentum, however, as the Thunderbirds pushed the lead up to 21 near the end of the game.
“They did a really good job of denying, and were just really up in my face,” Rachel Brewster, USU’s sophomore guard and leading scored said of SUU’s defense. “They just came out, and were really aggressive. They earned that.”
For the Aggies, this marks their third loss in five home games against Southern Utah, and the first loss of the preseason schedule. The Aggies have will a handful of days off before heading out to Montana to play in the Lady Griz Classic, where they are slated to take on Incarnate Word and Wyoming.