Aggies Falter on the Road Against SJSU, Lose Second Straight Game

After losing a close game to one of the best teams in the Mountain West in New Mexico, Utah State University Women’s basketball team dropped their second game in a row on Wednesday, 68-59, this time to the (1-17, 0-7) San Jose State Spartans.

Poor shooting hampered the Aggies in the road matchup, as in the first half they shot just 36.4 percent from the floor and 22.2 percent from three.

Despite their shooting struggles, the Aggies hung close with the Spartans throughout the first half. After winning the first quarter, 16-15, USU maintained their one-point advantage throughout the second and headed into halftime up, 30-29.

Utah State sputtered out of the gate in the second half, however, and SJSU capitalized, going on a 9-0 run in the opening minutes of the third quarter. USU managed to close the deficit to just two, 43-41, by the end of the period, but a 25-point barrage by the Spartans in the fourth put the Aggies down for good, 68-59.

USU’s shooting from the field fell even lower in the second half, to 30.8 percent.

Despite winning by 33 points when SJSU traveled to the Spectrum earlier this season, the Aggies’ head coach Jerry Finkbeiner expected a tough game from the Spartans defending home court.

“At home they played Wyoming tough, they played Nevada tough,” said Finkbeiner, “and obviously they played us tough. This is a different environment here, and our girls just didn’t respond.”

The Aggies travel to Las Vegas, Nev., to play UNLV next Saturday at 2:00 p.m., their first and only regular season matchup with the Runnin’ Rebels.