Aggies overcome slow first-half, defeat Boise State
LOGAN — Utah State entered Saturday’s battle with Boise State on a four-game skid. But by no means has the team been playing poor basketball. They battled with top team UNLV and lost by one possession to both Colorado State and San Diego State. They needed a win to keep team morale and confidence up.
And they did just that.
USU was led by another stellar performance from Adryana Quezada, who had 20 points and seven rebounds. Shyla Latone also helped the cause with 17 points and four assists. The Broncos were led by forward Abby Muse who recorded a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds.
The Aggies started the first quarter sloppy, committing 7 total turnovers in the quarter. They also had trouble scoring the ball, recording just 10 first-quarter points. Luckily for the Aggies, Boise State also experienced turnover problems as well as trouble scoring the ball. The teams both committed 7 first-quarter turnovers. A reason for the Broncos turnovers was the impressive post-defense played by the Aggies. The Aggies used their guards to frustrate the Broncos post players, allowing USU defenders to swipe away the ball. The Aggies ended the low-scoring quarter trailing 12-10.
They came out of the huddle poised for a stronger second quarter. Shyla Latone provided a spark immediately, converting an and-one just nine seconds into the period to give the Aggies their first lead of the contest. However, offensive woes plagued USU the rest of the quarter. Enduring scoring droughts as long as five and a half minutes, the Aggies struggled to get anything going offensively. While their scoring problem was still very much active, they were able to clean up their turnovers. USU recorded just two turnovers in the second quarter to keep themselves in the game. The low-scoring affair continued, with the Aggies entering the locker room down 26-23.
As the third quarter began, the Aggies looked like a brand new team. USU was able to outscore the Broncos 20-12 during the quarter. Utah State controlled the period entirely, capturing the lead within a minute of the start and never giving it back. “The biggest thing for us is encouraging our girls to have a short memory,” acting head coach Jauwan Scaife said. “They came back out in the second half and hit some big shots.” Scaife is filling in for Coach Kayla Ard as she is out with a non-COVID-related illness.
As soon as the Aggies were able to establish a lead, they never looked back. Some scares came from the Broncos, but it was all Aggies at the end. In crunch time with the game still in reach for the Broncos, Adryana Quezada iced it with an and-one lay-in. Down the stretch, she was the Aggie’s workhorse. It seemed like all the plays that USU ran were designed for her.
“It’s just a time for me to step up,” Quezada said when asked about her late-game efforts. “I am very honored to be the person they look to.”
The Aggies will look to build on this win when they travel to Colorado Springs to take on Air Force on Feb. 19.