Weekly Aggie Update

General 3/17/2008 12:00:00 AM

March 17, 2008

LOGAN, Utah -

WEEKLY AGGIE UPDATE - MARCH 16, 2008

MEN'S BASKETBALLContact: Doug Hoffman - (435) 797-3714
Last WeekW, 85-65 --- vs. San Jose State, WAC Tournament, Las Cruces, N.M.L, 78-88 --- vs. Boise State, WAC Tournament, Las Cruces, N.M.
This WeekWed., Mar. 19 --- at Illinois State, NIT,  8 p.m.TBA --- at Dayton/Cleveland State, NIT, TBA

• Utah State (24-10, 12-4) will travel to Normal, Ill., this week to play Illinois State (24-9, 13-5) on Wednesday, Mar. 19 at 8 p.m. (MT) in the first round of the 2008 MasterCard Postseason NIT. The game will be televised nationally on ESPNU. If the Aggies win that game it will play at either Dayton or Cleveland State in the next round of the tournament. USU is 2-2 all-time against ISU, which includes an 0-1 record in the NIT as the Redbirds defeated the Aggies in Logan, 93-87, in overtime in the first round of the 1995 tournament. Utah State has won the last two games played in the series, including an 89-84 win in Logan on Nov. 29, 2003, which was the last time the two teams met. Last week, Utah State defeated San Jose State, 85-65, and lost to Boise State, 88-78, in the 2008 WAC Tournament. Senior All-American guard Jaycee Carroll led USU in both games as he scored 24 points against the Spartans and 20 against the Broncos and was named to the all-tournament team. On the season, Utah State is led by Carroll who is averaging 22.6 points and 6.0 rebounds and shooting 53.3 percent from the field, 50.7 percent from three-point range and 92.3 percent from the free throw line, while junior forward Gary Wilkinson is averaging 13.4 points and 6.9 rebounds and shooting 58.1 percent from the field and 81.2 percent from the free throw line and freshman forward Tai Wesley who is averaging 10.2 points and 4.6 rebounds and shooting 64.9 percent from the field and 72.2 percent from the free throw line. As a team, USU is averaging 74.4 points and shooting 51.5 percent from the field, 40.4 percent from three-point range and 79.2 percent from the free throw line, while its opponents are scoring 68.4 points and shooting 43.9 percent from the field, 36.4 percent from three-point range and 70.0 percent from the free throw line.

MEN'S GOLFContact: Doug Hoffman - (435) 797-3714
Last Competition13th/16 --- at Braveheart Classic
Next CompetitionMon.-Tues., Mar. 27-28 --- at Cuesta Vista Intercollegiate,Arroyo Grande, Calif.

• Utah State's men's golf team will take the next two weeks off before returning to action on March 27-28 when it competes in the Cuesta Vista Intercollegiate in Arroyo Grande, Calif. Last week, Utah State finished in 13th-place at the Braveheart Classic in Beaumont, Calif., as USU finished the 54-hole tournament with a team score of 944 (328-309-307). Junior Devin Daniels led Utah State as he finished tied for 41st with a 19-over par 235 (80-79-76). It is the fourth time in six tournaments this year that Daniels has been USU's top finisher. Senior Jeremy Pack shot a three-over 75 in the final round to finish in a tie for 57 with a 22-over par 238. Freshman Toph Peterson tied for 62nd with a score of 239, while freshmen Tyler Labrum and Tyler Munson tied for 79th and 83rd with scores of 244 and 245, respectively.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALLContact: Ashley McWilliams - (435) 797-1361
Last WeekL, 47-61 --- vs. Boise State, WAC Tournament, Las Cruces, N.M.

• Utah State (9-20, 5-11) concluded its 2007-08 season with a 61-47 loss to Boise State in the first round of the 2008 WAC Tournament in Las Cruces, N.M., on Wednesday night. The Aggies finished the regular season in seventh-place in the WAC. Senior forward Jamelah Brown led USU in the WAC Tournament with 10 points and five rebounds, while senior center Jenny Gross added nine points and six boards. Utah State shot just 33.3 percent in the game as compared to just 35.0 percent shooting for Boise State. On the season, senior guard Taylor Richards led the team with 9.9 points per game, while Gross averaged 9.9 points and 5.6 rebounds. As a team, Utah State averaged 58.4 points on the season and shot 36.9 percentage from the field, 28.9 percent from three-point range and 70.3 percent from the free throw line, while its opponents averaged 64.0 points and shot 42.7 percent from the field, 34.1 percent from three-point range and 67.5 percent from the free throw line.

GYMNASTICSContact: Zach Fisher - (435) 797-2066
Last WeekL, 194.250-196.300 --- at Brigham Young3rd/193.900, at Texas Woman's/vs. Kentucky & Centenary
This WeekFri., Mar. 21 --- SOUTHERN UTAH, 6:30 p.m.

• Utah State's gymnastics team (5-13, 2-5) will return home this week and host Southern Utah on Friday, March 21 at 6:30 p.m. in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum in its final home meet on the season. This will be the third time that USU and SUU will have competed this season as the Thunderbirds defeated the Aggies, 196.00-192.250 in Cedar City and 193.100-189.650 in Salt Lake City in a tri-meet with Utah. Last week, Utah State competed in two meets as it lost at Brigham Young, 196.300-194.250, and then placed third in a quad meet at Texas Woman's with Kentucky and Centenary, scoring a 193.900. Against BYU, Utah State scored a 48.875 on vault, a 48.400 on bars, a 48.675 on beam, and a 48.300 on floor. Senior Katie Omann led USU against the Cougars as she tallied a career-high 9.800 on beam, tying for third, while freshman Nicole Simoneau tied for third on bars with a 9.800. At Texas Woman's USU scored a 48.850 on vault, a 48.525 on bars, a 47.550 on beam, and a 48.975 on floor. Freshman Jasmine Minion posted USU's best finish of the night, tying for first on floor with a career-best 9.900, USU's first 9.900 this season. Minion also tied for second on vault with a 9.850. Fellow freshman Nicole Simoneau also tied for second, posting a 9.825 on bars, while sophomore Heather Heinrich tied for second in the all-around with 38.875, just shy of her career-best of 39.000. Heinrich also was the Aggies' top finisher on beam, placing sixth with a 9.650.

OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELDContact: Zach Fisher - (435) 797-2066
This WeekFri.-Sat., Mar. 21-22 --- at Willie Williams Invite, Tucson, Ariz.

• Utah State's outdoor track and field teams will begin its 2008 outdoor season at the Willie Williams Invitational in Tucson, Ariz., on Friday and Saturday, March 21-22. USU completed its indoor season two weeks ago in Boise, Idaho as the men won the indoor championship, while the women placed fourth. The Aggie men are also the defending outdoor WAC Champions and the Aggie women finished the 2007 outdoor season in fifth-place.

SOFTBALLContact: Ashley McWilliams - (435) 797-1361
Last WeekL, 3-11 --- at Oregon StateL, 3-9 --- vs. No. 20 Washington, Portland, Ore.L, 4-5 --- vs. No. 20 Washington, Portland, Ore.
This WeekTues., Mar. 18 --- vs. South Dakota State, Provo, Utah, 2 p.m.Tues.,  Mar. 18 --- at Brigham Young, 4 p.m.Fri., Mar. 21 --- at Nevada (DH), 3 p.m.Sat., Mar. 22 --- at Nevada, 3 p.m.

• Utah State's softball team (3-12) will begin the week with a pair of non-conference games against South Dakota State and Brigham Young on Tuesday, Mar. 18 in Provo before beginning Western Athletic Conference play on Friday, Mar. 21 with a three-game series at Nevada. Last week, Utah State lost all three games it played at the Cascade Clash in Oregon. USU began the tournament with an 11-3 loss at Oregon State and then dropped a pair of games to No. 20 Washington by scores of 9-3 and 5-4. Freshman shortstop Kelley Kaneshiro led Utah State during the tournament, as she hit .625 (5-8) with a double and a home run, to go along with three RBI and three runs scored. In the Aggies' 11-3 run-rule loss in six innings at Oregon State, Kaneshiro hit a two-run home run and was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate. Against No. 20 Washington, she was 1-for-2 with a walk in the 9-3 loss in game one of the doubleheader, and 1-for-3 with a run and an RBI in a 5-4 loss in game two against the Huskies. Overall Kaneshiro had a 1.125 slugging percentage and .667 on base percentage during the weekend. She also tallied five assists defensively and had a perfect fielding percentage. As a team, Utah State is hitting .220 on the season as compared to a .350 batting average for its opponents. USU also has a team ERA of 5.86 this year, while its opponents ERA is 2.67.

MEN'S TENNISContact: Ashley McWilliams - (435) 797-1361
Last CompetitionW, 7-0 --- MONTANA STATE-BILLINGSL, 3-4 --- MONTANA STATE
Next CompetitionWed., Apr. 9 --- at Weber State, TBAFri., Apr. 11 --- NORTHERN COLORADO, 1 p.m.

• Utah State's men's tennis team (4-11) will have a month off before returning to action on Wednesday, April 9 at Weber State. Last week, USU notched a 1-1 record as it defeated Montana State-Billings, 7-0, and then lost to Montana State, 4-3. Sophomore Oscar Ericsson led Utah State during the week as he notched a 2-0 record at No. 2 singles, winning both of his matches in straight sets. He also teamed with senior Fernando Gallegos to notch a 2-0 record at No. 1 singles. Senior Jonas Tyden and Gallegos were also 2-0 in singles play. USU also had three players go 1-1 during the week in junior Matt Braithwaite, sophomore Matt Searle and freshman Jakob Asplund.

WOMEN'S TENNISContact: Ashley McWilliams - (435) 797-1361
Last CompetitionW, 6-1 --- MONTANA STATE-BILLINGSL, 3-4 --- MONTANA STATEW, 4-3 --- PORTLAND STATE
Next CompetitionFri., Mar. 28 --- DIXIE STATE, TBASat., Mar. 29 --- CAL STATE BAKERSFIELD, 3 p.m.

• Utah State's women's tennis team (4-9) will take the next couple of weeks off before hosting Dixie State on Friday, March 28 and Cal State Bakersfield on Saturday, March 29. Last week, USU notched a 2-1 record as it defeated Montana State-Billings, 6-1, and Portland State, 4-3, and lost to Montana State, 4-3. Sophomore Marie Livingston led USU during the week as she went 3-0 at No. 6 singles, winning all three of her matches in straight sets. Sophomore Brianna Harris notched a 2-1 record at No. 1 singles, while freshman Hailey Swenson went 3-0 at No. 2 singles. USU also had three players go 1-2 during the week as junior Bridgette Strickland competed at No. 3 singles, sophomore Britney Watts played at No. 4 singles, and freshman Taylor Perry was at No. 5 singles.

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