Injuries, rebounding woes derail Utah State in loss to Boise State
Utah State’s margin for error was thin before tipoff, and it disappeared almost immediately on Jan. 17 as Boise State used its depth, size and perimeter shooting to pull away for a 76-60 win at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.
Already without Marina Asensio and easing Aaliyah Gayles back on a strict minutes restriction, the Aggies lost senior forward Jamisyn Heaton just 84 seconds into the game when a collision resulted in a broken nose and concussion protocol. Heaton, one of Utah State’s most versatile defenders and interior scorers, did not return, forcing another reshuffling of rotations in a season that has already seen plenty.
“That changes everything,” said head coach Wesley Brooks. “We had special plays in for Jamisyn tonight. She can play three positions for us. When you lose that, everything shifts.”
Utah State opened the night with promise. Karyn Sanford scored the Aggies’ first two buckets, and the defense held Boise State scoreless for nearly four minutes. But the tone shifted quickly during a chaotic stretch midway through the first quarter. After a technical foul on Brooks, Boise State capitalized with free throws, second-chance points and perimeter shooting, ripping off a 19-1 run that flipped the game.
Tatum Thompson and Dani Bayes hit timely jumpers while Boise State’s activity on the glass repeatedly extended possessions. Utah State went more than three minutes without a basket during the run before Sophie Sene and Elise Livingston helped stabilize things late. Livingston knocked down back-to-back threes in the final minute to cut the deficit to 22-15 after one.
Livingston was Utah State’s offensive engine throughout the night. The sophomore guard finished with 17 points in 37 minutes, hitting tough pull-ups, drawing fouls and scoring off the dribble as Boise State pressured the ball and crowded passing lanes. She only committed two turnovers all game and scored 11 of Utah State’s first 20 points.
“I’m just trying to be ready for the shots I get in games,” Livingston said. “A lot of them come off the dribble, so I work on those every day.”
Boise State continued to control the physical parts of the game in the second quarter. The Broncos piled up offensive rebounds — 10 in the first half alone — and took advantage of Utah State’s inability to finish possessions. Josee Steadman and Libby Hutton provided interior scoring, while Bayes and Natalie Pasco stretched the floor.
Despite Utah State repeatedly drawing fouls and getting to the line, the Aggies went into halftime trailing 38-30.
Utah State’s best stretch came early in the third quarter. Sene scored inside and then buried a three to pull the Aggies within three. Paloma Muñoz Herreros followed with a banked-in three of her own, and for a moment, the building came alive.
But Boise State responded the way experienced teams do. Steadman and Pasco hit threes on consecutive possessions, Bayes answered every Utah State run, and Boise State’s ball movement exposed missed assignments as the Broncos pushed the lead back to double digits.
By the end of the quarter, Boise State led 62-46, having hit five threes in the period alone.
“We didn’t execute assignments,” Brooks said. “That’s what happens when you’ve got young players and people in new roles. That’s the growing pains.”
Gayles, who played only two minutes in the first half and returned briefly in the third, struggled to find rhythm under her 10-minute restriction, finishing scoreless from the field. Brooks acknowledged the difficulty of reintegrating a key scorer without consistent minutes.
“It’s hard to expect impact when you play two minutes, sit and then come back,” Brooks said. “Medically, we have to follow protocol. The human comes first.”
The fourth quarter offered little drama on the scoreboard, but Brooks pointed to it as a learning opportunity. Utah State played with better pace late, getting into its offense quicker and sharing the ball more freely — something the staff hopes carries into next week’s road trip to Wyoming.
For Utah State, the loss was emblematic of a season shaped by injuries and constant role changes. Brooks noted when Gayles, Asensio and Heaton are all unavailable or limited, the Aggies are forced to redefine responsibilities for each player game by game.
“Every time somebody gets hurt, roles get redefined,” Brooks said. “Every game is a different movie. We’ve just got to get healthy and get practice time together.”
Livingston echoed that sentiment, pointing to rebounding and defensive discipline as areas that must improve quickly.
“They crash really hard,” she said of Boise State. “We’ve got to be better with scouting reports — knowing who’s a shooter, who crashes — because that changes everything.”
Utah State will look to regroup next week during a home-and-road series with Wyoming, hoping incremental improvement and returning health can help steady a season that continues to test its resilience.
“We’ve got fight,” Brooks said. “Wins are coming. We just have to stay with the process.”