Aggies win four of six games
The Utah State women’s basketball team concluded the non-conference portion of its schedule with six games over the last month. The Aggies went 4-2 during the stretch, with a 1-1 record on the road and a 3-1 record at home.
“I was proud of where our focus was at,” head coach Raegan Pebley said. “We didn’t get distracted and adjusted and that’s maturity. Our leadership has been solid. We’ll need that as we head into league play.”
Idaho State 67, Utah State 65
It was a rough start on the road as Utah State fell to the Bengals of Idaho State in the final seconds. Senior forward Ashlee Brown had 15 points for the Aggies, but Idaho State denied USU the win with a layup with nine seconds left.
The Aggies had three players in double figures as junior guard Devyn Christensen added 13 points and senior guard Brooke Jackson had 10.
Brigham Young 73, Utah State 65
Four Aggies finished with at least 10 points, as Utah State raced to a 10-point halftime advantage. The Cougars stormed back with a 3-point barrage in the second half, and despite 18 points from Christensen, USU dropped its fourth consecutive game.
Dani Peterson finished with 14 points on 5-8 shooting for the Cougars, and BYU preserved its perfect record against the Aggies since USU’s program was revived in 2003.
Utah State 70, Northern Arizona 51
With students from five different elementary schools in attendance, the Aggies snapped their four game skid with a win over the Lumberjacks of NAU at home. Brown finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season.
The Aggies led by as many as 26 points. Christensen and senior forward Maddy Plunkett each added 13 points, limiting the Lumberjacks to 33 percent from the field and 40 percent from the free-throw line.
Utah State 64, Boise State 52
Christensen and Plunkett each had 17 points, and Brown added 12 to help the Aggies to victory in Boise, Idaho.
Utah State raced to a 7-0 lead, never looking back, and led by as many as 15 in the first half. Freshman guard Elise Nelson started her third straight game and finished with six points on 50 percent shooting.
“This was the best defense we’ve played all season,” Pebley said. “We did some great things — it was phenomenal.”
It was the fourth straight win over Boise State for USU, as the Aggies have swept the Broncos the past two seasons.
Utah State 83, Asbury 53
Junior center Banna Diop led all scorers with 13 points in a game in which 12 different Aggies scored. Diop was one of two Aggies in double figures.
After falling behind early, Asbury cut the USU lead to 25-22 only to see the Aggies go on a 10-0 run to blow the game open. Utah State’s defense held Asbury to 36 percent shooting for the game.
Kami Imai finished with a career-high nine points, and Pualei Furtado added eight as the reserves turned a 19-point lead early in the second half into a 30-point win.
Utah State 61, Utah Valley 43
The Aggies topped Utah Valley in a defensive battle for their fourth-consecutive win. Brown and senior guard Brooke Jackson each had 13 points as USU overcame a slow start.
“We won this game because of our defense,” Pebley said. “I’m proud of our defense because it’s been the focus of our practices the past three weeks.”
A free throw from Brown tied the game at 11, midway through the first half, but USU went into halftime with a 28-16 lead.
The Aggies held UVU to 18 percent shooting in the first half and pulled away throughout the second half, despite shooting 32 percent from the field for the game. No Wolverine player reached double digits in scoring.
Utah State finished its winter break schedule with a 9-5 record and begins WAC play Jan. 12 on the road at New Mexico State.
– curtis.lundstrom@aggiemail.usu.edu