Utah State women’s basketball spears Spartan women
Senior Ashlee Brown recorded a double-double with 30 points and 14 rebounds as the Utah State women’s basketball team pulled off a come-from-behind win against San Jose State 78-73 Thursday.
“(Ashlee) led our team physically and emotionally,” said head coach Raegan Pebley. “She played very tough. Players have courage to make plays because of the confidence and leadership from her.”
It was a close first half as neither team was able to pull away. Each time the Spartans started to build a lead, the Aggies answered and kept it close. San Jose led by six on three different occasions and Utah State’s biggest lead came at 34-31 with a minute left before the break.
The teams picked up where they left off to start the second half before the Spartans went on a 9-2 run with 17 minutes left. After a layup from Ta’rea Cunnigan, the Aggies trailed by seven. The deficit grew to 12 before USU was able to slow the Spartans offense down.
Brown ignited a Utah State run with a free throw and four minutes later the Aggies outscored the Spartans 12-2 to close to within one. Brown had five points during the stretch. The Spartans responded with a run of their own and pushed the lead back to seven with under four minutes to play.
Pebley said the Aggies kept their confidence.
“We tried to keep focus on the task at hand,” Pebley said. “They stayed confident and knew what they needed to do. They trusted the extra pass and hustled.”
In a half full of runs, the Aggies charged back and took their first lead of the second half on a 3-pointer from junior guard Devyn Christensen at 72-71. Christensen was one of three USU players in double figures with 17 points. Senior forward Maddy Plunkett added 13.
Utah State finished shooting 36.9 percent from the field and converted 23-37 free-throw attempts for 62.2 percent. Brown made 16-23 attempts — both game highs — and pulled down 10 offensive rebounds.
The Aggies improved to 14-6 overall with the win and 5-1 in WAC play. The Spartans dropped to 8-13 and 3-3 in the WAC.
Utah State concludes its three-game road trip with a visit to Hawaii on Saturday, Feb. 4.
“The biggest challenge is travel,” Pebley said. “We will stay focused on what we’re going to Hawaii for, and we’ll prepare and recover and work toward our goal.”
Before their game Thursday the Wahine held a 7-13 record, including a 3-2 mark in WAC play. Sophomore forward Kamilah Jackson leads Hawaii in scoring with 14.1 points per game and in rebounding with 10.6 per game.
Hawaii is ranked No. 1 in the WAC in field-goal percentage defense, holding opponents to 36.6 percent from the field. The Wahine are tied for No. 1 in rebounds with 41.2 per game and ranked No. 3 in the WAC in free-throw percentage at 69.9 percent.
Senior guard Breanna Arbuckle is one of three Hawaii players ranked in the top 10 in the conference in blocks per game at 1.8. As a team, the Wahine are ranked No.2 in the conference with 4.2 blocks per game.
Tipoff between Utah State and Hawaii is scheduled for 11 p.m Saturday, Feb. 4.
– curtis.lundstrom@aggiemail.usu.edu