Jan. 23, 2016
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LOGAN, Utah - The visiting San Diego State women's basketball team got off to a hot start against Utah State on Saturday, but was unable to maintain the momentum, ultimately dropping a 72-59 decision to the Aggies in a Mountain West clash at Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.
After an 8-for-16 shooting performance in the first quarter, the Aztecs (6-12, 1-6 MW) connected on just 12 of 35 field-goal attempts (34.3 percent) for the remainder of the game, including a 3-for-12 clip from three-point range.
Conversely, the Aggies (9-10, 4-4 MW) drained 14 of 24 shots from the floor (58.3 percent) in the second half to pull away for the victory and hand SDSU its sixth consecutive defeat. USU also out-rebounded the Aztecs by a 19-6 in the final two periods, including a 13-4 spread on the defensive glass.
Individually, SDSU was led by sophomore Cheyenne Greenhouse (Riverside, Calif.), who scored 12 points on 5-of-5 shooting, while fellow classmate Lexy Thorderson (Castle Rock, Colo.) finished with 10 points of her own off the bench. In addition, the Aztecs received eight points and a career-high eight rebounds from senior Ahjalee Harvey (Mountain View, Calif.), while junior Ariell Bostick (Oakland, Calif.) matched her season-best with six assists.
SDSU built a 23-17 lead by the end of the first quarter thanks in part to a 5-for-9 effort from beyond the arc. Harvey and sophomore Geena Gomez (Huntington Beach, Calif.) tallied two triples apiece during the period, as the visitors scored 11 points off six Aggie turnovers.
However, USU stormed back in the second stanza, engineering an 8-0 blitz over a span of 3:20 to grab a 25-23 advantage. The two teams combined for two ties and two lead changes for the remainder of the period, with the Aggies nosing in front 35-32 by intermission.
USU increased the margin to seven in the first three minutes of the third quarter, as a layup by Funda Nakkasoglu provided the host school a 41-34 cushion. Unfazed, the Aztecs reeled off seven straight points in just over a minute-and-a-half to knot the score at 41-41. Greenhouse converted an and-one opportunity during the run, while sophomore McKynzie Fort (Fontana, Calif.) added two free throws.
However, SDSU was unable to gain the upper hand, as USU employed a 14-4 surge to take the lead for good. Nakkasoglu scored 10 points during the run, including a three-pointer at the 6:54 mark of the fourth quarter to put the Aggies in control at 55-45. The Aztecs trimmed the deficit to single digits on three occasions, but triples by Julianne Anchling and Rachel Brewster extinguished SDSU's faint comeback hopes.
USU was led by Nakkasoglu's game-high 28 points on 10-of-16 shooting, while Brewster finished with 14 points, highlighted by a trio of treys. In addition, the Aggies were the beneficiaries of a double-double by Hannah Hutchins, who contributed 12 points and game-best 11 rebounds.
San Diego State will return to the court on Wednesday, Jan. 27, when it plays host to Nevada at Steve Fisher Court at Viejas Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. PT.