Aggies drop heart breaker to Cougars in overtime

After the Utah State women’s basketball team went to Provo and defeated BYU for their only road game win of the season last year, the Cougars came to the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum on Tuesday night looking for revenge, and they got it in sadistic fashion, beating their in-state rivals 62-57 in overtime.

Both teams’ offenses started slowly, and with five minutes left in the first quarter the score stood just 4-2 with USU in front.

“Probably the worst offense we’ve played this year,” said USU head coach Finkbeiner of his team’s performance, adding, “practice included.”

Utah State picked up their production in the last five minutes of the first, however, while also remaining stout on defense, limiting BYU to just 3-13 shooting from the floor in the quarter. The Aggies finished the quarter up 17-7.

An eight-point run in the second quarter brought the Cougars back into contention, however, and for the rest of the game the two teams were locked in a close contest.

“(We) should have had a nice halftime lead,” said Finkbeiner. “Instead of a five-point lead, (it) probably should have been 12 or 15.”

The fourth quarter featured four lead changes, and two free throws from USU junior forward Shannon Dufficy sent the rivals into overtime, the score tied at 55.

The competitive nature of the game continued into OT, as the game was tied once again heading into the home stretch of the extra period, this time at 57. BYU junior guard Brenna Chase came up big late, hitting a three to give the Cougars a lead which they would carry home as the Cougars then forced a turnover and USU was forced to intentionally foul. Two BYU free throws sealed the game, the final score, 62-57.

“We just weren’t ready offensively… We’re just going to have to question our starting group a little bit… We just weren’t sharp,” Finkbeiner said. “This was a really disappointing loss.”

Chase, along with freshman guard Shaylee Gonzales and sophomore guard Paisley Johnson made the difference in the game for the Cougars, all three scoring in double figures with Gonzales contributing a game-high 20 points. Dufficy led the scoring effort for USU with 17 points, and went 4-4 from the free throw line.

The loss sets the Aggies’ season record at 2-2 and BYU’s at 3-1. The Aggies will now travel to Reno, Nev. for their next game, where they face their third Pac-12 opponent of the year, USC, on Friday at 3 p.m.