USU women’s basketball season starts on a high note
On Friday, the Utah State Women’s basketball team squared of against the Westminster Griffins in its first and only exhibition game of the 2018-19 season. Both teams welcomed back 10 players. Five of Utah State’s were last years starters, while the Griffins returned two full-time starters and two spot starters.
Before any time had run off the clock, the Aggies found themselves down by two. The two point deficit was attributed to the fact that the Aggies did not submit their starting lineup in time for tip-off. They used a quick 8-2 run to reclaim the lead. The run included three-pointers from junior guard Olivia West, as well as one from junior forward Shannon Dufficy. At the end of a back-and-forth first quarter, USU led by a score of 20-17. Junior forward Hailey Bassett-Meacham paced the attack with six points on 3 of 8 shooting. Dufficy and Olivia West also chipped in with five points apiece for the Aggies.
USU’s Marlene Aniambossou shoots the ball in the Aggies’ 77-56 exhibition win over Westminster Friday night in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.
“Coming into this game, it’s an exhibition game but we always know that Westminster is going to be tough. … They always give us a run for our money,¨ Olivia West said.
Leading the way for the Griffins were sophomore guard Denise Gonzalez and sophomore forward Hunter Krebbs. They each had six points.
The second quarter was identical to the first. The score read 24-22 in favor of the Aggies when they went on another 8-2 run, which pushed the lead to eight. The run was fueled by a three-pointer from Dufficy, as well as a layup and three free throws from Olivia West. The Griffins pulled within one point on a three from sophomore guard Kaylee Carlsen with just under two minutes left in the half. On the play, Olivia West rolled her ankle and was immediately subbed out. She would would return to the game for the start of the second half.
“I’ll be fine, I rolled it pretty bad but it will be okay,¨ she said.
USU’s Olivia West brings the ball down the court against Westminster Friday evening.
Coming out of halftime with a six-point lead, the Aggies went on to outscore Westminster 21-4 in the third quarter and put the game out of reach.
¨I definitely think it was just a mindset thing, we were playing good possessions but then letting them get an [offensive] board or letting an easy blow by,” Olivia West said. “Coach just reminded us that we can play good defense and that we do it every day in practice.”
¨We had seen these girls before. Gonzalez is probably a division I caliber-player, and Krebbs always plays well against us,” added Utah State head coach Jerry Finkbeiner. “At halftime we really zeroed in on them. We decided let’s give Deja [Mason] a shot and then let’s realize where Gonzalez’s weaknesses are.¨
USU head coach Jerry Finkbeiner instructs his team during a timeout against Westminster Friday night.
Bassett-Meacham and Dufficy opened the quarter with a 12-0 run which was highlighted by an athletic tip-in by Bassett-Meacham on a missed free throw. A lead that was six points going into halftime ballooned to a 23-point lead heading into the fourth, all thanks to a couple of defensive tweaks and some hot shooting.
The fourth quarter in this one was a formality as the Aggies never let the Griffins get any closer than 21 points.
¨We’ve been looking forward to this moment for a long time,” Finkbeiner said. “We are looking forward to this year because we’ve got a lot of maturity and experience that we haven’t had in years and years…I think we are where we want to be this time of year, heading into Washington State next Tuesday.”
USU’s Hailey Bassett-Meacham and Rachel Brewster fight for a rebound.
By the Numbers
The Aggies had four scorers in double digits: Dufficy, Basset-Meacham, Olivia West and sophomore guard Emmie Harris. Olivia West led all scorers with 21 points. Junior guard Eliza West had a magnificent showing, showcasing her true point guard skills with 11 assists and zero turnovers. As a team they shot 47.5% from the field, and an other-worldly 52.6% from downtown. They also led in the assists column, 22-7, and took better care of the ball, registering seven less turnovers than the opponent.