Aggies lose their sixth to a hungry Wolf Pack
LOGAN – The Utah State University Aggies (3-14, 0-6 MW) took on the Wolf Pack of the University of Nevada (9-9, 3-2 MW) last night at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum in Logan. The game was one-sided from the tipoff as the Aggies lost their sixth game in conference play 89-44.
#33 Livia Knapp shoots a 3-pointer towards the end of the game at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum on Jan. 17.
“One of our biggest keys to the game was, we can’t turn the ball over,” said head coach Kayla Ard. “We had 19 turnovers and gave them 21 points off of them.”
Nevada’s Claire Jacobs led the game with 18 points while USU’s Skye Miller led the team with eight points. The Aggies shot 2-16 from the 3-point line compared to the Wolf Pack, who shot 10-21.
The Aggies started Ivory Finley, Cheyenne Stubbs, Macy Smith, Tiairra Hill-Brown and Bridget Mullings.
The Wolf Pack started Izzy Sullivan, Audrey Roden. Victoria Davis, Lexie Givens and Kennedy Lee.
Nevada won the tipoff, and Sullivan scored the first points of the game off a layup.
Finley scored a jump shot to equalize the score and put the Aggies on the scoreboard at the 4:58 mark. Finley scored a second from the same spot a minute later.
Davis scored a second chance attempt after recovering a missed free throw by Jacobs.
Stubbs scored a tough layup over her defender, and the first quarter ended with a score of 12-6 in favor of Nevada.
Davis scored a 3-pointer to open the scoring in the second quarter, and Stubbs scored a layup at the 6:52 mark.
Aggie Livia Knapp scored a floater after gaining space from her defender to bring the USU within seven of the Wolf Pack.
Davis scored a 3-pointer to extend Nevada’s lead to 10 points. Lauren Crocker answered with a layup for the Aggies from underneath the basket.
Jacobs scored two consecutive layups to spark a 6-0 run for Nevada.
The halftime score was 30-16 in favor of Nevada. Davis led all scorers with 10 points. Stubbs led the Aggies with six points.
The Aggies shot 33% from the field off 7-21 field goal attempts. The Wolf Pack shot 37% off 13-35 attempts.
The Wolf Pack scored 9 points off 13 turnovers by the Aggies. The Aggies scored two points off the Wolf Pack´s six turnovers.
Sullivan scored a 3-pointer to open the scoring in the third quarter.
Hill-Brown scored a tough hook shot and was fouled in the process. She converted the free throw to complete the three-point play.
Mullings scored a layup after a pick and roll set up by Stubbs.
Davis scored a 3-pointer to extend the Wolf Pack lead to 22 points.
Smith scored a layup for the Aggies after Allyzee Verdan intercepted an errant pass by the Wolf Pack.
#0 Ivory Finley dribbles around #2 Izzy Sullivan at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum on Jan. 17.
Miller also scored a layup after dribbling hard through the defense.
Kaylen Banwareesingh and Givens each scored a 3-pointer to cap off an 11-0 run for Nevada.
Jacobs scored a 3-pointer to close out the third quarter. The score was 61-29 in favor of the Wolf Pack.
Jacobs then scored two free throws to open the scoring in the fourth quarter.
Miller scored USU’s first 3-pointer at the 8:35 mark. Then, Samiana Suguturaga scored a finger roll layup to put the Aggies on a 5-0 run.
Kennedy Lee scored a 3-pointer off of an intercepted pass by Knapp to extend the Wolf Pack lead to 44 points.
Ali Wetta scored a 3-pointer for the Aggies at the 3:40 mark.
Nevada scored their next six points from the free throw line to close out the game with a score of 89-44.
“I thought our defense was pretty good in the first half. We were playing the zone, and our kids were doing a really good job at it,” Ard said. “I did not think we adjusted well in the second half. We actually gave them more boards and points off of those rebounds.”
Ard talked about the issues that have persisted for her team and said in order to be successful, her team needs to take care of the ball, rebound better and score the ball.
“I don’t really think it’s about other teams, to be honest. I think it’s about us,” Ard said. “We shoot ourselves in the foot with the exact same thing every night. We have to take care of the ball.”
USU will be back in action on the road against the Boise State University Broncos on Jan. 20 at 3 p.m.