Feb. 14, 2008

Final Stats

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Behind its three seniors combining for 47 points, Utah State women's basketball edged San Jose State, 61-60, Thursday night at the SJSU Event Center.

The win snapped an eight-game losing streak for USU, who is now 7-16 overall and 3-8 in Western Athletic Conference action, while SJSU lost its fifth straight and fell to 2-21 on the season and 1-9 in the WAC.

The Aggies swept the two-game season series with the Spartans, closing the gap to 4-3 in the all-time ledger.

Senior forwards Jenny Gross and Jamelah Brown netted 16 points apiece while senior guard Taylor Richards tallied 15 points. Brown snared a game-high nine rebounds while Richards had seven boards for the Aggies, who were out-rebounded by the Spartans, 37-33.

The senior trio was a combined 17-of-29 (58.6 percent) shooting from the floor.

Gross gave USU a 57-51 lead with 4:22 left but the Aggies had to withstand a frenzied Spartan charge, as they tied the score at 57-all with 1:47 left. A three-point play by Brown at the 1:35 mark put the Aggies back on top before SJSU's Myosha Barnes made one free throw with 27 ticks remaining.

Richards hit one-of-two free throws with 17 seconds left for the three point cushion and SJSU rebounded then called time out. The Spartans ran a play for Christine Martin's three-point attempt, but it was off the mark and Barnes corralled the rebound and made a layup at the buzzer for the final points.

SJSU was led by Emily Nichols' 15 points, while Aumornai Edinburgh scored 13 points and pulled down five rebounds. Brittany Powell also tallied seven points and six rebound for SJSU.

With the score tied at 4-4, USU went on a 5-2 run to go up 11-6 with 14:56 left in the half. The lead was changed 11 times and tied three times in the first half overall as San Jose State took a 31-30 advantage heading into the break.

The score stayed tight through the second half, while USU led through the majority of it, taking its largest lead at 39-34 with 15:41 left to play and maintaining a lead until the drama of the final minutes.

Utah State finished the game shooting 48.8 percent from the field (21-of-43) including 3-of-5 (60.0 percent) from three-point range and shot 72.7 percent (16-of-22) at the free throw line.

San Jose State shot 35.5 percent (22-of-62) field goal shooting including 9-of-20 (45.0 percent) behind the three-point arc and just 43.8 percent (7-of-16) at the charity stripe.

Utah State returns home for the first time in a month, hosting Nevada (17-7, 8-3 WAC) on Thursday, Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. (MT) in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum (10,270).

The USU - Nevada game is "Think Pink Night," part of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association "Cancer Awareness Weekend." All fans attending the game are encouraged to wear pink as a show of support for the brave individuals battling cancer.

The $5 for admission charge for adult, $1 childrens will be waived for anyone wearing pink to the game. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.

USU women's basketball tickets are available through the USU Ticket Office at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, online at www.UtahStateAggies.com and clicking on "tickets" in left column, or by calling or (435) 797-0305 or 1-888-U-STATE-1 (1-888-878-2831).

All Utah State women's basketball games can be heard on KLGN (1390 AM) in Logan with Evan Nyman calling the play-by-play and former USU women's basketball player Ashley Rutledge will be providing color commentary for home games. They can also be heard on the web through Yahoo! Sports, by going to the Utah State Athletics home page at www.UtahStateAggies.com and clicking on the Yahoo! Sports link in the right hand column.

-USU-