Aggies’ Fierce Battle Falls Just Short: Boise State Edges Out 82-77

LOGAN, Utah – The Utah State women’s basketball team rallied from yet another significant deficit but eventually ran out of time to finish the comeback, falling 82-77 to Boise State on Wednesday night at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.
 
The Broncos initiated the game swiftly, achieving a 12-2 run that led to a 24-15 lead after the opening quarter. Utah State countered multiple times, with senior guard Cheyenne Stubbs netting the first four points in the second quarter, igniting a 9-3 Aggie surge that reduced the deficit to 27-24. Boise State then re-established a 10-point advantage on two occasions during the quarter, but each time was immediately trailed by a 5-0 Aggie rally that brought the margin back down to five points; the latter capped by freshman guard Carlie Latta hitting a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to narrow the Broncos’ lead to 39-34 at halftime.
 
USU chipped away at BSU’s lead early in the second half, closing it to three points with four points from freshman guard Carlie Latta. The Broncos responded with an 8-0 run to reclaim a double-digit lead. Once again, the Aggies fought back with a 7-2 run, but BSU regained control with a 9-0 spurt, stretching the lead to 16 points late in the third quarter.
 
However, Utah State was not about to concede, steadily whittling away at the deficit throughout the final period. The Aggies shot 50 percent from the field in the fourth quarter, including a 4-of-7 success rate from beyond the arc, driving their comeback charge. USU brought the lead down to only five points after a 3-pointer from Latta and a steal-and-score by junior guard Mia Tarver in the last minute, but they were unable to complete the comeback before the final buzzer sounded.
 
Stubbs led the Aggies with 20 points on 6-of-13 shooting from the floor, additionally converting 6-of-9 from the charity stripe. Stubbs is now just four points shy of reaching 1,000 career points. Latta concluded with 16 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including a 4-of-5 performance from 3-point range, while Tarver added 14 points with a shooting line of 4-of-11 overall and 6-of-8 from free throws, marking three Aggies in double figures. Freshman guard Denae Skelton and junior center Sophie Sene each contributed eight points off the bench.
 
Stubbs and Tarver also tied for the team lead in assists, each finishing with three, alongside freshman guard Elise Livingston. Sophomore forward Gracie Johnson led USU with three blocks for the evening.
 
The Aggies recorded a shooting percentage of 39.3 percent (24-of-61) from the field and shot 36.7 percent (11-of-30) from 3-point range. Utah State tallied 12 assists against only seven turnovers, achieving fewer than 10 turnovers in consecutive games for the first time in the history of the program. USU also compelled Boise State into 14 turnovers and outscored the Broncos 18-11 in points off turnovers.
 
UP NEXT
Utah State will return to the road for a two-game away swing, commencing on Saturday, Jan. 11, at 2 p.m. (MT), against Nevada, followed by a game against Fresno State on Wednesday, Jan. 15, at 7 p.m. (MT).
 
Season Tickets
Season tickets for the 2024-25 season are currently on sale. Fans can obtain tickets here or by contacting the USU Ticket Office at (435) 797-0305.
 
Supporters can follow USU women’s basketball on Twitter, @USUWBasketball, on Instagram, @USUWBasketball, as well as on Facebook at /USUWBB. Aggie enthusiasts can also track Utah State Athletics on Twitter, @USUAthletics, Instagram, @USUAthletics, and Facebook at /USUAthletics.
 
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