Aggies lose to UNLV 89-51: Key takeaways
The Aggies were crushed by 38 points against the Rebels, and honestly, that’s not all that newsworthy.
UNLV entered this matchup ranked first in the Mountain West Conference in both total offense and defense. The size mismatch was evident from the opening tip, as UNLV boasts a roster of women all 5 foot 8 or taller. Utah State was outrebounded 52-30, outscored in the paint 48-24 and had only four second-chance points compared to UNLV’s 20.
The Aggies have lost all but one of the conference games this season, whereas the Rebels have only lost two conference games in the past three seasons. Clearly, these two programs are on different timelines.
Rather than rehashing a game that was essentially over before it started, let’s highlight some key takeaways from the Aggies’ side of things.
1. Taliyah Logwood is a star in the making.
After missing much of the season due to injury, the first-year forward returned with a standout week, earning Mountain West Freshman of the Week honors.
In this most recent game, Logwood showcased her fierce competitiveness and proved to be the Aggies’ most reliable player on both ends of the floor. She finished with 14 points, four rebounds, a block and a steal, all in only 17 minutes on the court.
Logwood is still on a minutes restriction as she works her way back into game shape after her injury, but head coach Wesley Brooks did not hold back in praising her performance.
“Things have drastically changed for us now that Taliyah Logwood got back,” Brooks said. “She’s an SEC level, Big Ten level type of player. She’s that good. They can’t guard her. She can guard them, and they can’t guard her.”
Beyond her statistical brilliance, Logwood possesses intangible qualities that make her a nightmare for opponents. She has a knack for getting the ball in her hands, whether by outrunning and outmuscling defenders for rebounds or sacrificing her body to secure possession.
On top of all that, she has an attitude — a ruthless, competitive attitude — that coaches everywhere are searching for.
“I have a lot of anger built up inside of me, so I just have to go out there and let it out,” Logwood said.
2. Are the Aggies a three-point shooting team?
Brooks made one thing clear from his first day on the job: He wanted his team to shoot 40 or more threes every game. But does this strategy suit the roster he currently has?
Not only did the Aggies fail to reach 40 three-point attempts against the Rebels, but they also struggled to knock down the open shots they were given from beyond the arc. They shot 7-for-28 in the game and are hitting just 29% of their three-pointers on the season, making them the least efficient three-point shooting team in the conference.
Although disappointed his team missed open shots, Brooks was quick to defend his three-point strategy after the loss.
“This is about playing for a program, not playing for one season,” Brooks said. “What we’re selling and recruiting is we’re a fast-paced team. We let the ball fly, but we do want to get paint touches.”
To be fair, the team also missed a few open layups in their loss, but their most successful offensive possessions came from post touches. When the ball was thrown to the bigs with their back to the basket, they often either drew fouls or made passes to cutters for easy buckets.
The fast-paced style Brooks is building has worked for the Aggies in other ways. They rank second in the conference in steals and force opponents into bad decisions on offense.
As of now, the three-point strategy hasn’t yielded the results Brooks was hoping for, but time will tell how his approach plays out in the long run.
3. The Cheyenne Stubbs Conundrum
Heading into the UNLV game, Stubbs was ranked third in the Mountain West in scoring, averaging 19 points per game in conference play. The senior guard plays with so much confidence, it can be easy to forget that she’s only 5 foot 5.
Her height disadvantage was a glaring issue against the Rebels. In 31 minutes on the court, Stubbs took only three shots and scored three points. The tall, lengthy UNLV defenders made sure she barely touched the ball, and when she did, she often dribbled into traffic and was forced to give it up.
Brooks, who has expressed his intention to help Stubbs play at the professional level, acknowledged her limited production in the loss but suggested a solution moving forward.
“We have to try and put her in space,” Brooks said. “When she has her space, she has to take her shot.”
The Aggies will look to bounce back when they face Fresno State at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum on Feb. 8.