Final Box Score (PDF)
LOGAN, Utah - Utah State women's basketball (2-0) defeated Northern New Mexico College (1-4) by 71 points, the largest margin of victory in program history, in its 106-35 win on Friday inside the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.
The 106 points scored by the Aggies are the fourth-most in program history as USU has scored 110 points on three separate occasions. The 106 are the most points scored by Utah State since the Aggies defeated Northern Arizona, 110-93, on Feb. 22, 1980, and the first time USU has surpassed 100 points since the 2013-14 season. The 35 Eagles' points are the fewest points the Aggies have allowed since their 59-35 win over Nevada on March 7, 2016 in the Mountain West Tournament.
Utah State had six Aggies score in double figures in the victory as junior guard/forward
Hailey Bassett-Meacham had 18 points, junior guard
Olivia West had 17, freshman guard
Steph Gorman posted a season-high 14, and senior guard
Rachel Brewster and junior forward
Marlene Aniambossou recorded 12. Junior guard/forward
Shannon Dufficy recorded her first double-double of the season with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Junior guard
Eliza West dished out a game-and-season-high eight assists, while
Olivia West stole the ball a career-high four times. Freshman forward
Emma Dudley led the team with three blocks.
Every Aggie that played scored at least two points, grabbed at least one board and stole the ball at least once.
Utah State jumped out to a quick start, leading by 10, 15-5, with 6:31 left in the first quarter after a Dufficy layup. After a NNMC three, the Aggies closed out the quarter with a 9-0 run behind Brewster free throws, a Gorman trey and layups from Brewster and Aniambossou to lead, 24-8.
USU continued to build its lead in the second quarter, leading by as many as 31 on three separate occasions before
Eliza West made a layup to close out the quarter with the 47-14 advantage.
The Aggies broke open the advantage even more in the third quarter, leading by 41 for the first time to that point, 58-17, with a Bassett-Meacham layup. USU had a 43-point edge twice in the quarter, leading 62-19 off a Dudley bucket with 4:37 on the clock. After Northern New Mexico College trimmed the margin to 35, 65-30, with 1:55 left in the stanza. USU then went 6-0 in the remainder of the quarter to lead, 71-30, heading into the fourth.
Utah State held NNMC to just five points in the final period of the game, which included holding the Eagles scoreless until the 3:57 mark. USU used a 26-0 run to open the fourth quarter, leading 97-30 with 4:17 to play. After a Northern New Mexico College triple, the Aggies built the lead up to 73, 106-33, with 1:44 to go. After one more Eagles' bucket, USU won, 106-35.
Northern New Mexico College was led by sophomore guard Melanie Secody, who had 13 points. Four Eagles recorded five rebounds in sophomore guard Leah DeAguero and sophomore forwards Raeanne Herrera, Cheyenne Livingston and Katelyn Yuzos.
The Aggies shot 54.2 percent (45-of-83) from the field, 35.3 percent (6-of-17) from behind the arc and 71.4 percent (10-of-14) at the free throw line. NNMC shot 21.1 percent (12-of-57) from the floor, 21.4 percent (6-of-28) from the 3-point line and 100.0 percent (5-of-5) at the charity stripe.
Utah State continues its home stand as the Aggies host No. 3 Oregon (1-0) on Wednesday, Nov. 14, at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.
Women's basketball tickets are available now. Fans can purchase season tickets for $25, or on a game-by-game basis. A women's sports pass is also available for $50, giving fans access to all home volleyball, women's basketball and gymnastics events. Fans can purchase tickets at the Utah State ticket office, located on the first floor of the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. Tickets are also available online at utahstateaggies.com/tickets, or by calling the ticket office at (435) 797-0305 or (888)-USTATE-1.
Fans can follow USU women's basketball on Twitter, @USUWBasketball, on Instagram, @USUWBasketball, as well as on Facebook, at /USUWBB. Aggie fans can also follow Utah State Athletics on Twitter, @USUAthletics, on Instagram, @USUAthletics and on Facebook at /USUAthletics.
-USU-