Record-setting night for two Aggies
LAS VEGAS (The Utah Statesman) — For Utah State as a team, Sunday’s 62-59 victory over Colorado State was the 16th victory on the season and assurance that the season would continue for the time being. For Shannon Dufficy and Eliza West, the night had an extra layer of frosting on the winning cake.
At the 6:48 mark in the fourth quarter, West sent a pass to Dufficy who hit a 2-point jumper that put the Aggies up 48-38. It was West’s third and final dime of the night, but more importantly, her 437th of her career. That gave West 437, one assist ahead of Aggie great Jennifer Schlott, who finished her legendary four-year tenure with 436 (to go with her program-best 1,556).
Just over six minutes later, Dufficy sank a pair of free throws giving her 11 points on the night, a perfect fit with her 15 rebounds. The double-double made it 18 on the year for the junior forward, who now holds the record for most double-doubles in a season in USU history.
Head coach Jerry Finkbeiner brought up both new marks unprompted in his postgame comments, praising the two juniors. Finkbeiner, along with West and Dufficy for that matter, were more concerned about getting win at this point, where a loss means the end of the season in all likelihood.
“I did know about the assist record kind of thing coming up because it was put on Twitter,” West said. “But it wasn’t something I was thinking about in the game because, of course, we’re in the tournament now and it’s one game on to the next and individual achievements are just blocked out right now.”
“It’s not the individual achievements that we’re worried about,” Dufficy said. “It’s the W.”
The Aggies’ season continues Monday evening at 8:30. The sixth-seeded USU will take on the third seed Wyoming in the quarterfinal.