Heaton hits 1,000 as Aggies fall to GCU

The Utah State University women’s basketball season came to a close Saturday night in Las Vegas after a 58-75 loss to Grand Canyon University. The Aggies entered the game on a 17-game losing streak and were unable to stop the skid. 

The Aggies opened the game on fire, quickly jumping to as much as a nine-point lead in the first quarter. Senior forward Jamisyn Heaton led the Aggies in scoring in the first quarter with seven points and two rebounds. The Aggies maintained their lead through the quarter and into the second. 

Sophomore guard Elise Livingston had an impressive start as well, scoring 11 points in the first half alone, four points above her season scoring average. She also began the game 4-for-4 from the three-point line, helping the Aggies jump out to their lead. 

Grand Canyon defeats Utah State, 75-58

“After a hot start like that, I try to keep a steady attitude at all times. I have to make sure when my opportunity comes that I’m ready for my shot,” Livingston said. “Coach did a good job getting me looks early so I could get going and get my rhythm. The whole team also has to execute those plays for me to get those looks.” 

Despite the hot start, the Aggies were unable to maintain the lead through the second half. In the closing minutes of the first half, the Antelopes were able to shrink the lead to just four points, and after the opening minutes of the second half they had taken the lead. Throughout the night the Aggies struggled on the boards, losing the rebound battle 25-44. Coach Wesley Brooks attributed this to the Aggies’ struggles in the second half. Once Utah State lost its lead, it struggled to get back in front for the remainder of the game. 

“We got off to a good start, and then foul trouble came. Once we got into foul trouble, we had to move some pieces around, and that distorted what we were trying to do,” Brooks said. 

“Once Rachel [Wilson] got into foul trouble, we got really small. Jamisyn and Macie [Brown] fought their tails off, but size is going to win out every time.” 

Despite the team’s loss, Heaton passed 1,000 career points during the game. Her 17-point performance led the Aggies and pushed her past the milestone. 

“I feel like every student-athlete ever wants to complete that goal. I told Coach at the beginning of the year in a meeting that it was a goal that I wanted to hit, and it’s a cool feeling to have reached it,” Heaton said. “It’s so surreal, and I wouldn’t have done it without everyone around me and the confidence of my coach. I’m proud of myself, but I hope I can help make my team proud and my family proud as well.” 

With the loss, the Aggies’ 2025-26 season has come to an end. Despite the team’s struggles throughout the year, the team feels it has made improvements from last year, establishing a foundation for the future. 

“I really thought this team would have a high ceiling. Obviously, that ceiling didn’t go the way we wanted. We had moments, but we just didn’t have the energy to sustain it. You gotta have bullets, and we ran out of bullets. That’s the bottom line,” Brooks said. “We’ve laid the foundation over the last two years of culture. We have a good culture, and that’s what helps us have our moments like tonight. We just don’t have wins to show for it. Now we’ve got to go get wins to show for it. That’s the bottom line. We need to win games.” 

During the press conference, Heaton echoed Brooks’ remarks, saying: 

“I feel like we had girls who wanted to persevere through all the injuries and all the adversity we faced. We fought every single day. We were dedicated in the gym and in practice. We never gave up, and we never backed down,” Heaton said. “Having that culture drove everybody, and even though we had lost every day, we still battled, and we still have those moments. It might not show in the wins and losses, but we still battled, and I’m proud of our team.” 

Despite the Aggies ending their season on an 18-game losing streak, they are optimistic about the future. With big changes to the roster as well as changes in the structure of the program, hope remains high within the team.