Utah State women’s basketball defeats Long Beach State 56-48
On Monday night, the Utah State Aggies women’s basketball team won a close game 56-to-48 against the Long Beach State 49ers. The victory improved the Aggies’ overall record to an even 2-2 on the season.
The Aggies had their work cut out for them early as the 49ers’ came out of the gates swinging, going on an 8-0 run after trading a couple of baskets to earn a 12-4 lead. However, the Aggies cut the lead to 17-to-13, with a run of their own, and went into the second quarter with momentum.
Shoot-out leads to three-lead changes
Senior guard Lindsey Jensen-Baker started the scoring for the Aggies in the second with a three. Then, a couple of free throws from senior forward Hailey Bassett cut the 49ers’ lead to one point with the score at 18-19. From then on, it became a shoot-out and the score was tied once and the lead changed three times. Going into the half, the 49ers led 28-to-26 over Utah State.
The third quarter appeared as if it would be more of the same and the two teams traded baskets until there were five minutes in the quarter. At that point, the Aggies went on a tear, scoring 14 points to the 49ers’ one with a 57-percent shooting efficiency. Four different players –Faith Brantley (4), sophomore guard Steph Gorman (3), senior forward Marlene Aniambossou (3), and senior forward Bassett (2)- contributed to the run.
This encouraged the Aggies, as a common theme throughout the season was a lack of scoring from players outside the starting lineup. The run ended the third quarter, giving the Aggies a 44-to-36 lead.
Maintaining composure to secure victory
In the fourth quarter, the Aggies maintained the lead, despite the 49ers’ best efforts. The 49ers cut the lead to four points at the beginning of the fourth, but the Aggies remained composed and went on 6-to-0 run, bringing the lead to a game-high 10 points. The 49ers could not put any sizable dent in the lead from then on, leading to an Aggies 56-to-48 victory.
Bassett had a stand out performance recording 17 points and 11 rebounds. It was her first double-double of the season and fourth double-double of her career. Jensen-Baker also performed well, with 14 points on eight shots. Additionally, Aniambossou tied her career-high of nine rebounds.
Aggies dominate in the paint
As a team, the Aggies put together a dominant performance in the paint, out-rebounding the 49ers 44-to-33. Having given up 45 rebounds to both Seattle Redhawks and the Oregon Ducks in previous games, holding the 49ers to only 33 rebounds was a huge victory for the Aggies. They earned 14 second chance points on 18 offensive rebounds, and while it may not be the most efficient ratio, it is a good sign that the Aggies were aggressive when they went after offensive rebounds.
Looking back, looking ahead
Overall, the Aggies earned the win on the backs of strong play from their veteran forwards and the team’s ability to fight back and take the lead. The Aggies’ next game will be against Cal State Fullerton on Wednesday, Nov. 20 in Fullerton, California.