WBB Preview: Utah State Welcomes Boise State For Primetime Clash

Utah State is set to host the Tatum Thompson, Natalie Pasco and Dani Bayes-led Boise State Broncos.

The Aggies have been excellent at home and have a 5-2 record in the Spectrum. Two of those wins came against conference foes when the Aggies dispatched Air Force and San Jose State. The first loss was against Utah, a tough showing in the team’s season debut. The second home loss was a nail-biter against a San Diego State team still unbeaten in conference play.

They led by nine points heading into the final frame and came up just a point short against the Aztecs. That was Utah State’s last outing at home, and the Aggies are looking to get redemption against Boise State on Saturday night at 7 p.m. The Broncos are another formidable foe, ranked as the second-best conference team to visit Logan so far this year. They're 13-5 (4-3) and currently 128th in the NET rankings, 52 spots behind San Diego State at 76th.

Wes Brooks' Aggies have been battling all sorts of issues that have kept their roster thin. They have mostly been injury-related, but a passport issue has been resolved for Andjela Marojevic, and she has returned to the United States and to the lineup for this game. Rachel Wilson was also sidelined with a concussion but cleared protocol and suited up against Fresno State. She logged three minutes in her return and added three points and three rebounds.

As the Aggies inch closer to full strength – albeit sans Marina Asensio, out for the year – they still await official word on star player Aaliyah Gayles. But, any reinforcements help the roster that had just eight available players until Wilson’s return.

Gayles, who is week-to-week, will likely return on some sort of minutes restriction when she does come back as the team gets her back to form. She will, though, make an immediate impact whenever that is, and no matter how much time she spends on the floor.

Utah State recently saw Elise Livingston break out of a slump and need her to continue that trend. Heading into the Fresno State game, she was averaging five points per game in conference play and just 2.3 in her previous three games. Against Fresno State, she had 16 points with an impressive 5 of 8 performance from the field and an even more impressive 3 of 4 outing from deep. It was a new season high for the sophomore and broke a 10-game streak without a double-digit scoring performance. She’s now averaging 6.3 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game.

Jamisyn Heaton also played well against Fresno State, despite the team's sizable shortcoming. She recorded 15 points, four rebounds and a block. It was her second straight double-digit performance and her sixth straight four-plus game. She is averaging 8.3 points per game, 4.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.6 steals.

Karyn Sanford, who slowed down towards the end of non-conference play and at the start of the Mountain West slate, has picked back up. She contributed nicely against Fresno State with eight points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block.

In conference play, she is now averaging 8.4 points per game, but 10.2 in her last five games. She has also been rebounding the ball well with 4.6 rebounds per game against conference opponents. Her season averages are 6.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists.

Sophie Sene, who is having a breakout year for the Aggies, is dealing with the consequences of that plus having a short staff around her as opposing defenses put a target on her back. Sene struggled to score against Fresno State but managed to do a bit of everything else. She had four points, eight rebounds, an assist, a block and a steal, without turning the ball over and picking up just one personal foul. She has become one of the scoring leaders on the team, and if she can bounce back on that front, collecting boards, blocks and steals without getting into trouble with the whistle will go a long way. She is averaging 9.4 points and 7.0 rebounds on the year.

For Boise State, there is really no shortage of talent. Thompson, Pasco and Bayes lead the way, with both Thompson and Pasco having been named to the preseason all-conference team. Libby Hutton, Mya Hutton and Madeline Cooke help fill in, and the result is a very complete Boise State team.

Even beyond that six-player core, the Broncos can rely on minutes from Morgan Maldonado, Mason Borcherding and Emily Howard. Of the three stars, Thompson stands at the top with team highs of 15.2 points and 7.4 rebounds per game, adding 2.6 assists and 1.3 steals as well.

Bayes averages 13.6 points per game, 4.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and leads the team with 1.3 steals a night. Pasco averages 13.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists. The leading Bronco in dimes is Mya Hansen with 4.7. She adds 7.8 points and 2.4 boards.