Women fall to Montana
Utah State women’s basketball dropped a close one, falling 61-60 to Montana on Wednesday.
Seniors Brooke Jackson and Ashlee Brown each had 14 points for the Aggies, but one missed free throw was the difference as the Grizzlies held on.
“Those two players normally try to be contributors in scoring,” head coach Raegan Pebley said. “Ashlee had 12 boards and Brooke found opportunities to include her teammates by sharing the ball by facilitating. I’m pleased with their play.”
It was a grudge match from the beginning.
Jackson scored the first eight points for Utah State, and the Aggies held a one-point advantage after back-to-back free throws from the Arizona transfer. USU’s lead grew to four after senior center Maddy Plunkett hit a 3-pointer, as the Grizzlies were held scoreless for nearly four minutes.
Sophomore forward Jordan Sullivan ended Montana’s scoring drought with a free throw, and teams traded baskets before an Aggie basket knotted the game at 17. Brown took over from there, scoring the next six points on 2-of-3 shooting and gave the Aggies an eight-point advantage, their largest of the game.
Pebley felt Jackson and Brown handled the Grizzly’s defense well.
“They had a lot of attention put on them,” the Colorado graduate said. “Ashlee was double- and sometimes even triple-teamed; and they worked hard on Brooke trying to deny her.”
The Grizzlies didn’t go quietly.
Montana outscored the Aggies 7-3 over the final four minutes of the half and got back in the game. Three different players scored during the stretch, and the Montana bench outscored the USU reserves 13-3 in the first half.
The Grizzlies kept pushing in the second half, and a jumper from junior forward Alyssa Smith gave Montana its first lead of the second, with 16 minutes to play.
Jackson regained the lead for USU with a jumper and the Aggies pushed their lead to five, after a free throw from junior guard Devyn Christensen.
Montana scored eight-straight points to gain a three-point edge and wouldn’t concede the lead again. Junior forward Katie Baker led the charge and finished with a team-high 12 points and pulled down seven rebounds.
The Grizzlies held their biggest lead of the game at six, with four minutes remaining, and Montana hit its free throws down the stretch to preserve the win.
The Aggies tied the game at 55, with two minutes remaining, but Smith hit a big 3-pointer, with 25 seconds left, to give Montana a 60-57 lead. The Aggies missed their attempt to tie, and after Montana hit one of two free throws, USU hit a 3-pointer as time expired.
“It was a great environment that Montana had,” Pebley said. “It was a good crowd and a very physical game. That was the best that Montana had played so far this season.”
It was a game that came down to being won on the boards and at the free-throw line, as both teams were 21-58 from the field and both hit at least five 3-pointers. Montana was plus-1 in the free throw category, and out-rebounded the Aggies 44-35.
Pebley said the board game was the difference.
“They definitely out-rebounded us and got second-shot opportunities and were able to convert them,” Pebley said. “They played very physical, they disrupted what we do. We got some great shots, we just weren’t able to convert those opportunities.”
With the loss the Aggies dropped to 5-2 on the season, while the Grizzlies climbed back to .500 at 3-3. The Aggies continue their road trip with a stop at Montana State Dec. 2 at 7 p.m. and a visit to Idaho State Dec. 10 at 2 p.m.
“Montana State is a very good team, coming off a pretty dominating win,” Pebley said. “They are physical as well — well-balanced and they’ll be aggressive.”
– curtis.lundstrom@aggiemail.usu.edu