Nov. 16, 2008

LOGAN, Utah -

Complete Weekly Aggie Update - Nov. 16 in PDF Format

WEEKLY AGGIE UPDATE - NOVEMBER 16, 2008

CROSS COUNTRY
Contact: Jackie Banda (435) 797-8584

Next Week
Mon., Nov. 24 --- at NCAA Championships, Terre Haute, Ind., 10 a.m.

• Utah State's cross country teams will wait and see if any individual runners advance to the NCAA Championships, which will be held in Terre Haute, Ind., on Monday, Nov. 24 at 10 a.m.

Last Week
Women, 8th/19 --- at NCAA Mountain Regional
Men, 10th/19 --- at NCAA Mountain Regional

• Utah State women's cross country took eighth at the NCAA Mountain Regionals hosted by Colorado State Saturday. The men finished 10th overall in the race and both teams competed against 18 other schools. Senior Ashley Johnson finished 16th overall running the 6K course in 21:03.5 and was the Aggies top finisher for the second race in a row. Johnson led the Aggies to a first-place finish two weeks ago in the WAC Championships in Las Cruces which was her first action of the season. She helped lead the Aggies to their second WAC title. Following Johnson was freshman Jessie Chugg (21:39.5) in 40th place and sophomore Kim Quinn (21:50.7) in 51st place. On the men's side, junior Jason Holt was the top finisher coming in 19th place, running the 10k course in 30:12.9. Holt, who was named WAC Athlete of the Year after finishing first at the WAC Championships two weeks ago, has been the Aggies top finisher in the last two races. Following Holt was freshman Daniel Howell (32:09.9) coming in 64th overall and sophomore Hunter Nelson who was 67th (32:15.9).

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Contact: Kara Irving (435) 797-1361

This Week
Wed., Nov. 19 --- NORTHERN ARIZONA, 7 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 22 --- IDAHO STATE, 7 p.m.

• Utah State's women's basketball team (1-0) will play two games against Big Sky opponents this week as it hosts Northern Arizona on Wednesday, Nov. 19 and Idaho State on Saturday, Nov. 22. Both games will begin at 7 p.m., in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. USU is 12-4 all-time against NAU and 13-10 all-time against ISU.

Last Week
L, 51-64 --- PORTLAND

•Utah State women's basketball began its 21st season with a 64-51 loss to Portland Friday at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum in the first half of a doubleheader with the men's team. The loss was the Aggies 11th-straight loss to start the season. Utah State's last season-opening win was a 78-59 victory over Southern Idaho on Nov. 17, 1981. USU was led by senior point guard Danyelle Snelgro who scored 15 points and junior center/forward Lydia Whitehead who scored 12 points in her Aggie debut. Whitehead had her first double-double for Utah State adding a game-leading 15 rebounds. Senior guard Ana Pares was the third Aggie to score in double digits adding 11 points. Portland had three players in double figures, including Laiken Dollente's game-leading 18 points. USU out-rebounded Portland 39-36, but were hurt at the free throw line making only 5-of-13 from the charity stripe. The Aggies were also hurt by 19 turnovers to the Pilots' 10.

FOOTBALL
Contact: Zach Fisher (435) 797-2066

Next Week
Sat., Nov. 29 --- NEW MEXICO STATE, 1 p.m.

• Utah State (2-9, 2-5) will have a bye this week and then host New Mexico State (3-7, 1-5) on Saturday, Nov. 29 at 1 p.m., in its final game of the 2008 season. USU will honor its 17 seniors in a pre-game ceremony. USU is 26-6 all-time against NMSU, which includes an 11-3 record at home.

Last Week
L, 14-49 --- at Louisiana Tech
• Utah State battled back from a 35-17 deficit and took a 38-35 fourth-quarter lead only to be overtaken by Louisiana Tech, losing 45-38, Saturday at Ruston, La. USU out-gained LTU, 368-345, including 99 rushing yards and three TD's by redshirt-freshman Robert Turbin, becoming the first Aggie running back since Emmett White in 2001 with three rushing TD's. Turbin scored on a one-yard TD, a 47-yard scamper for a score and a two-yard run. Freshman LB Bobby Wagner led the Aggie defense with 10 tackles, while senior LB Jake Hutton added nine stops. Senior S De'von Hall, junior DT Alan Bishop and junior DE Antonio May tallied seven tackles each, as May notched a sack. Sophomore QB Diondre Borel added 56 yards rushing and two TD's as well a throwing for 204 yards on 12-of-18 passing. However, Borel threw three interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns in the first half, as La Tech built a 28-17 halftime lead. Louisiana Tech was led by Daniel Porter's 114 rushing yards and two TD's, while Ross Jenkins was 12-of-17 passing for 145 yards and two TD's, but was sacked three times by the Aggie defense, tying a season-high for USU.

VOLLEYBALL
Contact: Doug Hoffman (435) 797-3714

This Week
Thur.-Sun., Nov. 20-23 --- at WAC Tournament, Honolulu
Thur., Nov. 20 vs. San Jose State, 5:30 p.m.

• Utah State (11-16, 9-7) will be the fourth-seed at the 2008 WAC Volleyball Tournament held in Honolulu from Thursday, Nov. 20 through Sunday, Nov. 23, and play fifth-seeded San Jose State (12-16, 7-9) at 5:30 p.m. (MT) in the quarterfinals. USU is 8-15-1 all-time against the Spartans, which includes a 2-0 record this year. SJSU defeated USU in five sets in the quarterfinals of the 2007 WAC Tournament.

Last Week
L, 0-3 --- at New Mexico State
W, 3-0 --- at Louisiana Tech

• Utah State posted a 1-1 WAC record last weekend with a three-set loss at New Mexico State (25-12, 25-14, 25-20) and a four-set win at Louisiana Tech (25-20, 25-22, 19-25, 25-17). Against NMSU, freshman outside hitter Liz McArthur had six kills and hit .417 (6-1-12), while freshman opposite side hitter Emily Korten had five kills and hit .417 (5-0-12). NMSU out-hit USU .549 to .152 in the match. Against the Lady Techsters, senior outside hitter Kris Hymas had a career-high 16 kills and hit a career-high .316 (16-4-38), while senior middle blocker Rebecca Anderson had nine kills and five blocks, and sophomore middle blocker Katie Astle had nine kills and three blocks. USU hit .151 in the match as comapred to a .115 hitting percentage for LTU.

MEN'S BASKETBALL
Contact: Doug Hoffman (435) 797-3714

This Week
Mon., Nov. 17 --- at UC Santa Barbara, 8 p.m.

• Utah State's men's basketball team (1-0) will play its first road game of the 2008-09 season on Monday, Nov. 17 at UC Santa Barbara (1-0) at 8 p.m. (MT). USU is 37-22 all-time against the Gauchos, which includes a 14-12 road record.

Last Week
W 71-50 --- MONTANA STATE-NORTHERN

• Senior forward Gary Wilkinson scored a career-high 24 points and added 12 rebounds to lead Utah State past Montana State-Northern, 71-50, in its season opener at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum Friday night in the second-half of a doubleheader with the USU women's team. The Lights came into the game with a perfect 6-0 record. Utah State improved its home winning streak to 18 games and has now won 54 straight non-conference games at home during the regular season. Wilkinson, who was 9-of-10 from the field, recorded his eight career double-double in the game as his 12 boards were just one shy of his career-high set last year. Sophomore forward Tai Wesley added 13 points, seven rebounds and four assists for the home team, while sophomore guard Tyler Newbold finished with nine points and three rebounds. Travis Noble had 18 points to lead Montana State-Northern. Utah State finished the game by shooting 54.3 percent from the field (25-46), 33.3 percent from three-point range (2-6), and 61.3 percent from the free throw line (19-31). Montana State-Northern shot 38.5 percent overall (20-52), including 36.4 percent from behind the arc (8-22), and 40.0 percent from the free throw line (2-5). USU also out-rebounded MSU-N, 39-23, and recorded 18 assists in the game while committing just eight turnovers.