WBB Recap: Aggies Nab Massive Home Win Over Idaho

LOGAN – In its first game at the Spectrum since a 96-point clinic against Stanislaus State, Utah State delivered again as it got off to a strong start and warded off an Idaho comeback effort for an 80-73 victory.

After their second 80-point game of the year, the Aggies are now 3-1 at home. They've already matched their home win total from last year and surpassed the win total of two they had at home in each of the two years before that.

The win was a much-needed one for Wes Brooks' Aggies. Utah State was on a three-game losing streak that saw the team slide below .500 after a 3-2 start, and it was Utah State’s last chance to tune up before starting the Mountain West campaign. Getting back on track was a crucial and urgent task for the Aggies, and they did what they had to do, earning their most impressive and complete victory of the season.

It was Utah State’s first win over the Vandals, who were picked to finish third in the Big Sky, in over a decade, since the teams went their separate ways in the bygone rounds of conference realignment. It broke a four-game losing streak against the Vandals and brought the all-time series to 16-13 in favor of Idaho. The Aggies have already met their win total from last season, and they haven’t even played a conference game yet.

After getting blown out by Oregon and coming up excruciatingly short in losses at Loyola Marymount and San Diego, Utah State was ready for battle against Idaho. Sophie Sene got things started for Utah State with a three-pointer to take a 3-2 lead in the opening minute of the game. She added another three to break up an 11-point tie at the 3:39 mark and kickstart the Aggies on a 9-3 run to close the opening quarter with a 20-14 advantage.

The Aggies added 18 points but gave up the lead in the second quarter. With seven unanswered points, the Vandals overtook the Aggies 21-20 to open the frame. Utah State fought back, and courtesy of a pair of Jamisyn Heaton layups, buckets from Aaliyah Gayles and Rachel Wilson, and another Sene triple, regained the upper hand with a 32-26 lead halfway through the period. Idaho added a quick five points, to which Sene responded by knocking down another three-point jumper.

Sene got some help moments later when Marina Asensio joined the party and hit a triple assisted by Bella Cosme in response to another three from Idaho, and the Aggies led 38-34 with 3:29 left. In the final minutes, the Vandals added six points to sneak past Utah State and take a two-point lead into the break.

To start the third quarter, Heaton tied the game with a layup, Sene took the lead on a tip-in, and Heaton added to it before the Vandals turned the third quarter into a battle. The Aggies won the frame by three and took a narrow 57-56 lead into the final 10 minutes.

Utah State briefly gave up the advantage and was up by only three with under six to play after reclaiming it, but four unanswered points from Gayles and a bucket from Elise Livingston put the Aggies in control, 74-65. The end-of-game free throws, with a couple of Idaho field goals mixed in, added to the tally but left Utah State on top as the Aggies held on to earn a seven-point victory.

It was the third game in a row decided by a single-digit deficit for Utah State and the fifth all season. The Aggies have fared well in those contests and boast a 3-2 record with wins over CSU Bakersfield and Omaha before picking up the two losses on their West Coast Conference road trip.

Sene had an otherworldly shooting performance that helped the team notch a season-high 48.3 shooting percentage, but it was Gayles, once again, leading the team with Heaton not far behind to round out the top three.

To reach a 17-point total, Sene was 6-of-7 shooting with a scorching 5-of-6 clip from deep. Her five triples are a career high, and she is the first 6-3 or taller Mountain West player to hit five threes since the 2020-21 season (Mallory McGwire of Boise State did it twice that year). Sene didn’t get to the free throw line, but she didn’t need any extra help to cross the 15-point mark for the second time this season. She also added eight rebounds in her 23 minutes of action.

Gayles had 18 points, nine rebounds, an assist and two steals. She went 6-of-14 shooting from the field and converted all six of her free throw attempts, her third this year with a perfect record from the stripe and second in four outings.

Heaton played 25 minutes, her second most this season after a 30-minute effort against CSUB. She tied her season high of 15 points, which came against Stanislaus State, and added five rebounds, an assist and three steals. She went 6 of 9 from the field and 3 of 4 from the free-throw line. After a three-game stretch with two points per game to open the season, Heaton is up to averaging 6.4 points per game, and that’s including her game against Oregon when the Ducks kept her off the board.

Asensio was also blanked against Oregon but has since erupted. She has scored in double figures in each of the last three games (and the one before, for that matter) and is averaging 13.7 points per game since her trip to the Evergreen State. She added 11 points, four assists and three steals against Idaho. Her shooting efficiency wasn’t there (4 for 13), but she trusted the game plan and gave herself enough volume to cause problems for Idaho.

Livingston added five points, four rebounds and an assist. Aitana Rosello Lopez and Wilson contributed well off the bench. The former had six points and an assist, and the latter had five points and two rebounds. Karyn Sanford also came off the bench and had three points, three rebounds and a steal.