Record-setting season ends for Aggie Women
A record season for the Utah State women’s basketball team finally came to an end Saturday in their second-round game of the WNIT. The Aggies lost to in-state rival BYU, 102-63, at the Marriot Center in Provo. USU, who finished the season with a school-record 18 wins, advanced to play BYU after the team’s first post-season win since 1977, but came up short against the high-powered Cougars.
“We did not play as well as we know we’re capable of doing,” head coach Raegan Pebley said. “It was a tough game, but I’m proud of our kids’ effort, I’m proud of their character, and I’m really proud of who they are as a program and how they represent our school.”
The Aggies started the game ready to play as sophomore Banna Diop put USU on the board first. For the next several minutes, Utah State was in control of the game, and even held a 13-5 lead after about five minutes of play.
It didn’t take long for BYU to show why they are such a tough team, though, as they reeled off a 9-0 run to quickly take their first lead of the game at 14-13. For about the next 10 minutes the game see-sawed between the two teams, neither one ever having a lead of more than three points. With about five minutes to go in the first half, BYU turned on the jets, finishing the half with a 20-7 run and going into the locker room up 47-33.
“We knew we needed to play well defensively,” Pebley said. “We needed to try to force them into turnovers and rush them because they are too good of shooters, and we just weren’t able to do that tonight. They hit 3s, they rebounded really well and they were very physical.”
The second half started and the Cougars continued to pull away. In the first two minutes, the BYU lead was up to 20, and although the Aggies continued to fight, they had trouble getting any closer. As the half wore on, the lead continued to grow for BYU and it turned into a depressing deja vu for the Aggies after they suffered a big loss in Provo earlier in the season.
“We were a totally different team the last time we played them, and we kind of redefined ourselves after that game. But I think the emotions, the physical and the emotional toll of the past week and a half might have caught up with us a little bit.”
The final buzzer sounded and the Aggies season was over, but what a season it was. It was Utah State’s best season ever in terms of wins, as they won 18, the most in USU history. This season the Aggies also returned to the post-season, playing in their first tournament game since the 1981-82 season, as well as winning their first post-season game since 1977.
“It was a big step for our program,” Pebley said of the season. “Getting into post-season play and also competing the way we did in conference, the players really invested themselves and sacrificed a lot for this team.”
Saturday’s game also marked the last game for four Aggie seniors, Alice Coddington, Amber White, Stacey Howard, and LaCale Pringle-Buchanan, all of whom will be greatly missed by Utah State.
“Those seniors were really special to this program,” Pebley said. “They’ve given so much to this program and to this university and they are proud to be Aggies.”
Despite losing important players, the future looks bright for Utah State. The Aggies will return four starters next year, including Ashlee Brown, who was named first-team All-WAC and WAC Newcomer of the Year along with Devyn Christensen, who was second on the team in scoring this season.
“We’re excited about the youth that we have returning next year and all their potential,” Pebley said. “They (the seniors) believed they were part of something pretty special and that became contagious throughout our program. These younger players learned a lot from those seniors.”
– mark.israelsen@aggiemail.usu.edu