Utah State women’s basketball struggles continue
Utah State couldn’t do much against UC Santa Barbara at home, falling 51-86 to a team that towered over them and has received votes in the Top 25.
Even though they were vertically challenged in the game, the Aggie women came out and played hard.
The first half USU was able to control the game fairly well, holding UC Santa Barabara’s leading scorer Lindsay Taylor to six points. Unfortunately though, junior Kristen Mann, despite being ill, stepped up for the Guachos to put in 11 points in the first half and led UCSB off the court up 36-23 at the half.
“We were too intimidated by the height we knew we were going to face,” said USU Head Coach Raegan Pebley. “We altered our shots a lot and we would get some nice picks and we wouldn’t take the shot.”
During the first half, Utah State struggled to get the ball to Ali Aird. She left the court at the half with out having taken a single shot, and hardly a look at the basket. However, the Aggies had junior Stephanie Grant step up and put some points up on the board for them.
“(During the first half) we were able to put all the pieces together on offense and defense,” said Grant.
Unfortunately, the Gauchos came out on fire during the second half and scored nearly two baskets for every one the Aggies made, even though they had only three players on the bench, with at least three players sick or injured.
“We were really thin on the point guard line with Karena Bonds not being able to play with her pulled muscle,” said Santa Barbara Head Coach Mark French. “[However], during the second half we really stepped up on the boards and I’m very pleased with that.”
The Aggies had trouble holding the Guachos back during the second half, almost playing opposite of their first half, letting UCSB into the basket almost every time they were down the court.
“Our girls got a little too aggressive in the second half,” Pebley said. “I saw what was common in the other games they won was that they had more shot attempts than the other team. I thought we did well the first half but not so well the second.”
UCSB’s second half was nearly perfect. In the first 10 minutes of the half, they only missed four baskets.
Taylor was nearly unstoppable. The 6-foot-8 player, towering over everyone on the court, pretty much just had to drop the ball in the basket. She led four other Santa Barbara players in double-digits with 23 points.
“We weren’t as physical as we needed to be with [Taylor],” said Grant.
Pebley said: “We need to be more physical with her early on the court. In the second half we waited for her to come to us and you can’t defend her that way. You have to force her to play 12 to 15 feet away from the basket.”
In a rare showing, Aird didn’t score at all during the game. During the second half she was able to get her hands on the ball a little bit more but was able to only get one shot up and two free throws, which she missed.
No Aggies made it to double digits for the first time since the season started.
Christina Zdenek and Grant led the Aggies with nine points. Virginia Jennings had eight points and Ashley Anderson had six, making a three-point field goal in each half.
“[Pebley] is doing all the right things,” said French. “They didn’t give up. They continued to play very hard throughout the game all the way to the end. That is a trademark of good coaching. They will get it done as long as they continue to keep the energy and intensity high.”
That is what USU is looking to do as they get ready to face Cal Poly at home on Saturday at 3 p.m.
“We are getting better every game,” said Grant. “If we keep improving like this and play two halves well, we will be unstoppable.”
-aedmunds@cc.usu.edu
Raegan Pebley gives her team instructions during Utah State´s 86-51 loss to UC Santa Barbara in the Spectrum Thursday night. (Photo by John Zsiray)