Upset bid falls short, USU Women lose to UNLV
LOGAN- Utah State looked to dethrone the first-place team in the Mountain West, UNLV, and pick up their second conference win on Saturday. The Aggies dominated the first half of both sides of the floor, but a foul-ridden fourth period resulted in a 72-60 defeat.
The emotionally charged matchup featured a technical from a UNLV coach, scoring-run after scoring-run and lots of cowboy hats. The scoreboard didn’t reflect what was, for much of the game, an all Aggie affair.
The Aggies (7-15) started the first period off hot, shooting 61.5% from the field and holding UNLV to just 12 points. Senior Laci Hawthorne led the early offensive brigade with 11 points of her own. UNLV went scoreless in the last 2 and a half minutes.
Noticeably missing from the Aggie lineup was guard E’Lease Stafford who was out on COVID protocol. Someone needed to step up to the plate. Forward Adryana Quezada was happy to oblige.
Quezada led all players in points, field-goal percentage and blocks. She recorded 17 points on 8 of 14 shots and blocked 2 shots. But her contribution to the Aggies reaches far beyond her impressive stats.
“She is loved by her teammates and the coaching staff. She’s extremely coachable, has a high basketball IQ, and is very competitive,” said Coach Ard, “I know that she’s gonna be upset in that locker room.”
Quezada’s dominance on the court was best exhibited in the 3rd period as she blocked a shot attempt by Essence Booker. The HURD, sporting oversized blue cowboy hats filled the Spectrum with chants of, “You got swatted!”. On the resulting inbounds play, Quezada stole the ball, passed it up-court, and Shyla Latone sank a 3-pointer. The play continued an 8-0 scoring run for the Aggies, their largest of the game.
On the offensive side, Quezada continues her scoring stride, recording her 6th straight double-digit game. She’s averaged 20.5 points over the last 6 games.
But her stat stuffed performance couldn’t contain UNLV. Las Vegas native Desi-Rae Young led the way for her team, recording a double-double with 16 points 15 rebounds. But UNLV’s win came down to free throws. The Aggies committed 6 personal fouls in the last quarter, allowing UNLV to shoot 12-of-12 from the line. Frustrated with the foul calls, UNLV head coach Lindy La Rocque earned herself a technical in the final moments of the game. UNLV ended the match on an 11-1 run.
Despite the loss, Coach Ard is proud of how her team played, “The score doesn’t reflect how well we did. UNLV is the best team in the Mountain West and I’m proud of how we played,” Ard said.
The Aggies stay at home to take on Colorado State on Wednesday.