Women’s basketball road recap: Winners and losers
The USU Women’s Basketball team dropped two more games last week against Colorado State and San Diego State, falling to a 2-23 record on the season, yet their competitive spirit continues to shine through.
“I thought we actually played well,” head coach Wesley Brooks said in reference to the recent road trip. “We just didn’t get the results.”
While Brooks has seen strong performances from several players in recent games, the wins have yet to materialize.
The Mountain West tournament is just three weeks away, and time is running out for the Aggies to find their winning stride. With just five games remaining in the regular season, Brooks has a clear focus for his team moving forward.
“We’re just trying to play hard — trying to play with effort,” Brooks said.
Here’s what went well during last week’s road trip, along with the things that didn’t.
FEB. 12: Colorado State 72, Utah State 54
WINNER: Taliyah Logwood’s energy
LOSER: Rebounds, rebounds, rebounds
Since returning from injury, Logwood’s minutes on the floor have remained limited. Initially, she played less to recondition after missing several weeks, but now her playing time has been further restricted due to her foul trouble.
However, when Logwood has been on the floor, she’s added a different dimension to the team’s competitive fervor. In the game against the Rams, she played only 23 minutes but scored 12 points, grabbed four rebounds and recorded three steals.
When Logwood is on the bench, the team feels the absence of her rebounding ability. The Aggies lost the rebound battle to the Rams 42-28, and the Rams received a 20-point, 11-rebound performance from their 5-foot-8-inch guard Kloe Froebe.
“That was ridiculous,” Brooks said of Froebe’s performance. “I mean, we’re sending different people at her, and she’s still getting it.”
It was a brilliant performance from Froebe but also a lack of physicality from the Aggies’ defense —that’s how Brooks saw it.
“[Froebe’s] ripping the ball out of our hands, and that’s a toughness level that you got to have,” Brooks said. “You got to just want the ball more than they do.”
If the Aggies had grabbed more rebounds and showcased more hustle in this game, things could have been very different.
FEB. 15: San Diego State 78, Utah State 63
WINNER: The scoring from Cheyenne Stubbs, Mia Tarver and Carlie Latta
LOSER: 21 turnovers
This was the first game in which three Aggies scored 15 points or more, with contributions from three of the team’s most reliable scorers.
Stubbs finished with 20 points, as expected from a top-five scorer in the Mountain West. Tarver added 19 points, including a perfect three-for-three from behind the arc. Latta, who was shooting lights out early in conference play, scored 15 points, hitting three three-pointers of her own.
Tarver, who set a career high in this game, credited her success to being moved out of the starting lineup.
“Coming off the bench helped me be able to prepare myself a little bit more before I’m heading out there,” Tarver said. “I was able to stay focused mentally and hit my shots.”
Utah State’s fast pace contributed to their improved shooting performance, but it also led to a slew of turnovers. They would dribble erratically into the teeth of the defense, or they would force a pass that would miss its target.
“You turn the ball over 21 times, so you lose 21 shots,” Brooks said. “We can’t play mistake basketball and get away with it.”
When the Aggies were able to get shots off, they were connecting, shooting 49% from the field and 41% from three. However, their 21 turnovers were what allowed the Aztecs to pull away in the second half.