Utah State women make tourney in first year back
ANAHEIM, Calif.- The Utah State women’s basketball team’s Big West Tournament run was a short one, as it was defeated by Long Beach State 55-48 Wednesday.
After building a 26-24 halftime lead, the Aggies appeared ready to pull off the upset of the fifth-seeded 49ers. Poor free-throw shooting in the second half – the Aggies were 4-of-12 – doomed any chances of creating a Cinderella run.
“We missed nine free throws and we lost by seven; it was definitely a factor,” Aggie Head Coach Raegan Pebley said. “You make your free throws, we’re able to get into our press, we’re able to make them walk the ball up, we can create for ourselves with made buckets and that includes free throws.”
Ali Aird missed four free throws in the final 10 minutes. The Aggies trailed the 49ers by five or fewer points during much of that span. Aird had 11 points.
“[Aird] is going to be fine, she’s a great free-throw shooter,” Pebley said.
The 49ers were determined to outrebound the Aggies, and did so by a 40-to-30 margin.
“We knew they averaged 15 offensive boards a game and that boxing out would be critical,” Long Beach Head Coach Mary Hegarty said. “We really buckled down, at least defensively.”
The defensive pressure put on by the 49ers took the Aggies out of their offensive game.
“I felt like every time there was a shot going up that I had two people boxing me out,” Aird said.
Christina Zdenek led the Aggies with 17 points and seven rebounds. Long Beach had four players in double figures. Candice Wilson and Jayme Connors had 13 points while Crystal McCutcheon and Lauren Bull had 11.
The loss ended a five-win season for the women, in their first season of play since 1987. The season ending, Pebley said, is a monkey off their back. She said the players and herself had been questioned all year about how it is to start a program, but going into next year, the team will be much more experienced and won’t have to face the pressure of a first-year team.
“This is going to be a great experience for us with such a young team,” Pebley said. “Yeah, it’s great to come to the tournament. These kids don’t want to just come, their goal was to be in the top four.”
Zdenek agreed.
“I think coming to the tournament gives us a sense of confidence that we can play with these teams,” she said.
-str@cc.usu.edu
Christina Zdenek tries to pass the ball off to a teammate during the first round of the Women´s BWC Tournament. (Photo by John Zsiray)
Brittany Tressler guards Long Beach´s Christina Mack in BWC. Tournament first-round play. (Photo by John Zsiray)