WBB Review: Utah State Drops Rivalry Bout With Utah

SALT LAKE CITY – Utah State picked up a pair of six-game losing streaks in Salt Lake City as it lost its sixth game in a row and its sixth straight game to Utah dating back to 2011. The Aggies fell 87-34 to Utah, their worst defeat of the year, and they fell to 1-8 on the season.

Utah looked very much like a team fresh off beating the third-ranked team in the country, and the Aggies were overwhelmed from the start. After Utah State took a 4-0 lead, the Utes went on a 19-0 run and never looked back. By the time the Aggies found the net again, when Gracie Johnson hit a three-pointer, the game had already slipped out of reach.

In the second quarter, the Aggies did their best to kick-start an offensive attack, but couldn’t really get the motor turned over. After giving up another two points to open the quarter, the Aggies were on pace with the Utes for about five minutes, matching their six-point output. The first four of those points were from Taliyah Logwood and the final two were from Ava Smith to make it 36-15, but a three-pointer from Gianna Kneepkens broke it back open for Utah and the Utes closed the quarter on a 14-5 run to take a commanding 30-point lead into halftime.

In each of the final two quarters, the Aggies hit just one field goal. In the third, Jamisyn Heaton hit a three with 2:34 remaining, and in the fourth, Elise Livingston knocked down a three with 3:16 remaining. A handful of free throws rounded out the rest of the second-half scoring as the Aggies posted eight and six points respectively. By the fourth quarter, the Utes also slowed down and put up 15.

For Utah State, it’s a game to leave in the past. The silver lining, if there is one, would be the continued success of role players, especially the underclassmen. With Cheyenne Stubbs out for a second consecutive game with a foot injury, the rest of the team stepped up to fill the scoring void.

Logwood in particular is showing real signs of progress. She has a lot of potential and it might not take long for her to reach it. She led the team in scoring with nine points and was 2 of 4 from the field and 5 of 7 from the stripe. She added a rebound and a steal to her night as well. She’s been putting up consistent numbers, but this was her first time posting a team-high in scoring, even though it's among her lower-scoring games. She also managed to lead the team with only four attempts from the field. Scoring is well within her wheelhouse, but being the number one option is not something the young freshman is accustomed to. She is now averaging 10 points per game while shooting 50 percent from the field and 40 percent from deep.

The second-leading scorer, and the only other Aggie with more than three points, was Heaton. She was outplayed in the post, but it was not from a lack of effort. Her interior skills are getting sharper, and though it didn’t amount to much against the ultra-talented Utah frontcourt, she played an exhausting 28 minutes and added seven points, eight rebounds and an assist. She also added a few things that didn’t show up in the stat sheet but will continue to show up as the season progresses: Chiefly, her signature toughness and leadership ability. The strides in her game have been masked by far superior opponents, but Heaton is still on pace to become a star for the Aggies.

Sophie Sene’s health has continued to improve and she is now playing without a minute restriction. She played 16 minutes, and while she is still settling back into her game, she looked healthy against the steep demands of this Utah team. She had two points, two rebounds and a steal. Smith tied her career high with 12 minutes and recorded two points, three rebounds and an assist with her playing time.

Mia Tarver, Livingston and Johnson all had three points. Tarver’s all came from the line as she couldn’t convert from the field on nine attempts. She also had a rebound, an assist and a steal. Livingston is still looking to click on offense. She has been finding ways to hit a few tough shots lately but hasn’t found a rhythm, shooting 1 of 6 from the field and 1 of 5 from beyond the arc with three rebounds and an assist. Johnson took two shots all night, both from deep, and hit one. She added a rebound, an assist and a steal.

Ultimately, the cards were never in Utah State’s favor. It was a game against a mammoth opponent and their sixth game away from home in a row. Add to the mix that the Aggies, who were already severely outgunned, were without their leading scorer. Given the circumstances, a slide for this young Utah State team is understandable. Losing is never preferred, but a loss like this one can be acceptable if it leads to future success. If the Aggies let this loss follow them, they could get in their own way later on. If they can learn from the experience and move on, it could pay dividends.

With a pair of much more reasonable opponents on the horizon and with Mountain West play just beyond that, the Aggies need to move on from this loss and focus on the next opponent. In this case, that opponent is a 6-2 Grand Canyon University.