Women’s baskeball finishes with three-game homestand, hosts Idaho
With the season winding down, Utah State women’s basketball returns to the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum to host Idaho in the first of a three-game home stand to conclude the season.
“It’s a great opportunity to finish at home,” said USU head coach Ragean Pebley. “If we can pull out some wins, it can help with the seeding, and it gets you rested before the conference tournament.”
The Aggies are coming off a loss to Fresno State on Feb. 18, in which junior guard Devyn Christensen scored 21 points, six rebounds and four assists. Christensen is ranked No. 2 in the Western Athletic Conference with an average of 20 points per game during conference play.
Junior guard Jenna Johnson had a career-high 17 points and added seven rebounds and two assists in the loss to the Bulldogs. The loss dropped USU to 17-8 overall this season and 8-3 in the WAC.
As a team Utah State is ranked No. 1 in four offensive categories: free-throw percentage (74.4 percent), field-goal percentage (46.2 percent), 3-point percentage (41.1 percent) and assists (16.5/game).
The Aggie defense has struggled, giving up 68.4 points per game, which is sixth in the WAC.
“We’re working hard to play at our peak level with all cylinders firing,” Pebley said. “The offense that we run is a fun system and highlights our players’ strengths. I love the balance that we have on the floor between the inside game and the perimeter.”
With two wins in their final three games, the Aggies would set a record for total wins in a season at 19. USU can also tie the school record for conference wins at 11 with wins in all three upcoming games.
Senior guard Brooke Jackson ranks No. 1 in the WAC in field-goal percentage at 55.8 percent, and Christensen and senior Maddy Plunkett both rank in the top 10 at 52.1 and 46.6 percent respectively.
Plunkett did not play against Nevada or Fresno State and will sit out the rest of the season after breaking her foot in practice.
The Vandals are 9-18 overall and hold a 4-7 record in conference play after an overtime win at Nevada on Feb. 18. The win snapped a two-game losing streak for Idaho.
Sophomore guard Alyssa Charlston is ranked No. 4 in the WAC with an average of 16.3 points per game for Idaho — the only Vandal in double digits in scoring. Idaho is averaging 63.6 points per game as a team and giving up 69 points per game to its opponents.
“(Charlston) is tough. She is playing so well,” Pebley said. “She’s got a lot of tools in her belt to be able to score, and her team seems to be settled into their roles as well. It’ll be a team effort to stop her. We’ll have to make sure our help defense is solid, as well.”
Charlston, who was recently named an All-American, also ranks second in the conference in rebounds, pulling down an average of 10.9 rebounds per game, and sixth in field-goal percentage at 50.7 percent.
Sophomore forward Ashley Walters leads the WAC with two blocks per game, and Idaho is ranked No. 1 in the conference with 4.5 blocks per game. The Vandals are also ranked No. 3 in field-goal defense (38.2 percent) and 3-point percentage (33.9 percent).
Tipoff is scheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m. in the Spectrum.
– curtis.lundstrom@aggiemail.usu.edu