Box Score

LOGAN, Utah -

Boise State 63, Utah State 58

Opening its only two-game homestand of the conference season, Utah State women's basketball fell to Boise State, 63-58, Wednesday.

Sophomore forward Funda Nakkasoglu led the Aggies in scoring, totaling 19 points on the night. She was joined in double figures by freshmen guards Katie Toole and Rachel Brewster, adding 14 and 12 points, respectively. Senior forward Julianne Anchling was tops in rebounding Wednesday, tallying seven. Miquelle Askew led the Broncos with 15 points, while Brooke Pahukoa added 13.

In just 17 minutes on the court, freshman center Deja Mason tied the school record for single-game blocks with a career-best eight. Banna Diop hit the mark in 2011, also against Boise State, while Jill Swainston had eight against Northern Colorado in 1987.

With the loss, Utah State falls to 10-11 on the year and 5-5 in Mountain West play. Boise State extends its winning streak to seven games, improving to 15-6 overall and 8-2 in conference action.

It was a slow start for both teams Wednesday night, as the defenses battled and the offenses tried to get a footing on the court. Sophomore center Hannah Hutchins struck first, putting the Aggies on the board nearly two minutes into the game. Boise State shot just 1-of-5 to start the game, giving the Aggies a 9-4 lead at the media timeout. Out of the break, both teams struggled to score, shooting a combined 4-of-25 from the floor to end the quarter. Looking to end the skid, Brewster attempted a 3-point shot at the buzzer, but missed, leaving the Aggies scoreless for the final two minutes of action. USU remained ahead though, up 13-10 after one.

A minute into the second quarter, Brewster ended the Aggies' scoring drought with a jump shot, the team's first field goal in nearly seven minutes. A trey at the 7:46 mark gave the Broncos their first lead of the night, where it would stay until the end of the third quarter. Boise State continued to build on its lead, but a 3-pointer from Nakkasoglu cut it back to a three-point deficit for the Aggies, who went into the locker room down, 26-23.

Out of the break, the Aggies and Broncos traded shots back-and-forth, with neither team gaining much momentum. Boise State followed with three straight baskets, finding a seven-point lead at the media stop. The break proved beneficial for USU, who went on an 8-0 run, including six points in 48 seconds. A layup from Mason tied the game at 40 with 38 seconds left in the quarter, but the Broncos got the final say with two free throws.

Anchored by Mason's eight blocks, the Aggie defense continued to step up, holding off Boise State in the final quarter. Both teams battled through the dwindling minutes, with five lead changes and two ties in the last six minutes. Boise State hit just one of six field goals in the first half of the quarter, as the Aggies held on. Out of the media timeout, the teams traded baskets and the lead, with layups from Toole and Nakkasoglu for the Aggies and Askew for the Broncos. Down two, Nakkasoglu attempted a final layup, but was blocked by Shaw who returned it to the other end for a basket. Toole had the final shot of the night, scoring with one second left, but Boise State secured the win.

On the night, Utah State shot 35.9 percent (23-of-64) from the field, 11.1 percent (2-of-18) from the 3-point line and 76.9 percent (10-of-13) from the free throw line. Boise State shot 33.3 percent (22-of-66) from the field, 15.8 percent (3-of-19) from behind the arc and 64.0 percent (16-of-25) from the free throw line.

The Aggies stay home to close out the week, hosting Wyoming on Saturday, Feb. 6. Utah State will battle the Cowgirls at 2 p.m.

Tickets for the 2016 Mountain West Championship are now available by contacting the Utah State Ticket Office at 1-888-USTATE-1 or 435-797-0305 during regular hours of operation. Fans can also buy tickets in person at the USU Ticket Office inside the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum or online by clicking on the "Buy Tickets" tab at www.utahstateaggies.com. The tournament will be held at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, March 7-12.

A USU women's sports pass is available for $75, giving the owner entry to all home volleyball, women's basketball and gymnastics events. The pass, as well as individual game tickets, are available through the USU Athletics Ticket Office. Fans can find more information by calling (435) 797-0305 or at 1-888-U-STATE-1 (1-888-878-2831) or by visiting the Utah State Athletics website at www.utahstateaggies.com.

Fans can follow USU women's basketball on Twitter, @UtahStateWBB, on Instagram, @USUWBasketball, as well as on Facebook, at USUWBB. Aggie fans can also follow Utah State Athletics on Twitter.com, @USUAthletics, on Instagram, @USUAthletics and on Facebook at Utah State University Athletics.