AGGIE TIP-OFF
Utah State women's basketball (2-0) continues its nonconference schedule with a split week. First, the Aggies will travel to take on Pac-12 foe California on Tuesday, Nov. 16, at 8 p.m. USU will then return home to the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum to host Loyola Marymount on Friday, Nov. 19, at 6 p.m.
HOW TO FOLLOW
Radio coverage for Saturday's game will be provided by 92.3 KBLU with Ajay Salveson on the call. Live stats and play-by-play information will be available through Sidearm, while updates will also be provided through the team's social media outlets. Links to each option will be available online prior to the game.
AGGIES VERSUS THE GOLDEN BEARS
Utah State and Cal have met only one time previously when the Golden Bears defeated the Aggies, 93-82, on Nov. 21, 1981 at a neutral venue. USU is 24-70 all-time versus current Pac-12 opponents.
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN BEARS
The Golden Bears enter Tuesday's contest 2-0 on the young season with commanding 90-71 and 70-41 wins over Sacramento State and San Francisco, respectively. Cal has shot 50.8 percent from the field while holding their opponents to only 36 percent. The Bears have shot 48.0 percent from 3-point range in their first two games and 74.3 percent from the free throw line. Opponents have managed only 31.1 percent from 3-point territory. The Bears have also outrebounded their opponents by an average of 8.5 rebounds per game and forced 37 total turnovers while giving up possession only 29 times themselves.
Cal returned seven of eight letterwinners from last year's squad that went 1-16, including all five starters. It's freshman Jayda Curry, however, who has led the Bears in scoring so far this season averaging 25.0 points per game, eighth-most in the country, along with 6.0 rebounds per game. Senior Cailyn Crocker has been Cal's leading returner, averaging 12.5 points per game with 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.5 steals. Graduate senior Jadyn Bush, a transfer from Harvard, has been Cal's leading rebounder with 7.0 rebounds to go with 10.5 points per contest. Evelien Lutje Schipholt is Cal's final scorer in double digits with 11.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game.
AGGIES VERSUS LIONS
Utah State is 2-1 all-time versus Loyola Marymount. The two sides split a home-and-home series in 2012 and 2013. The Lions defeated the Aggies in Los Angeles, 98-81, before Utah State exacted revenge the following season with a 100-58 victory in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.
SCOUTING THE LIONS
The Lions enter the week sitting at 0-2 after a 61-58 loss to UC Santa Barbara and an 82-52 loss to No. 14-ranked Oregon State. Under first-year head coach Aarika Hughes, LMU has shot 40.5 percent from the field, 25.0 percent from behind the 3-point line and 45.7 percent from the free throw line. Opponents have shot 45.3 percent and 25.0 percent from 3-point range in LMU's opening two games. The Lions have been outrebounded by an average of 5.0 rebounds per game and have committed 35 turnovers to their opponents' 31.
Seven letterwinners and four starters return from the 2020-21 team which finished 7-19, including 4-13 in West Coast Conference play. Senior Ariel Johnson has returned as LMU's leading scorer, averaging 15.5 points per game while shooting 42.9 percent from 3-point range. Johnson has also averaged 6.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 2.5 steals per game thus far. Junior Khari Clark has been close behind with 12.0 points per contest alongside 6.0 rebounds. Sophomore Nicole Rodriguez has also averaged double digit points with an 10.0 per contest. Senior Jasmine Jones has been the Lions' leading rebounder over two games with 8.0 per game.
AGGIE RETURNERS
Utah State returns eight letterwinners from last year's squad. Headlining the returners include senior Emmie Harris, who averaged 8.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game in 22 contests. Junior Faith Brantley also returns having averaged 7.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game a season ago. Sophomore guard Meagan Mendazona also returns her 6.0 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. Junior Shyla Latone is USU's leading returning scorer at 9.7 points per game across 24 contests. Other returners for Utah State include sophomore Halle Nelson (4.6 ppg, 4.0 rpg), junior Kamalu Kamakawiwo'ole (4.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 1.2 apg), sophomore Kinley Falslev (3.4 ppg) and senior Taylor Franson (2.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg). In all, USU returns 65 percent of last season's scoring, 55 percent of last season's rebounds, and 80 percent of last season's assists. Over 68 percent of all minutes played during the 2020-21 season return again for the Aggies this year.
TRANSFER-MATION COMPLETE
Utah State added five new faces to the 2021-22 roster via transfer. Sophomore Olivia Wikstrom joins the Aggies after playing her freshman year at Northern Colorado. Junior Adryana Quezada comes to Logan after two years at UTSA. Senior E'Lease Stafford joins USU after three years at East Tennessee State. USU also brings in two transfers from Murray State in seniors Manna Mensah and Laci Hawthorne.
OLD SCHOOL
While the Aggies welcome five new transfers to the team in 2021-22, only one freshman graces this season's roster, Amit Lustgarten, who redshirted last year while appearing in five games for the Aggies.
WELCOME TO THE PARTY
The Aggies made several changes to the coaching staff for the 2021-22 season. Jauwan Scaife remains as assistant coach while also taking on the responsibility of recruiting coordinator. Taylor Ignoto officially joins the staff as an assistant coach after spending last season as director of basketball operations. Marc Wilson also joins as an assistant coach, bringing 21 years of Division-I coaching experience with him. Claire Gritt makes her coaching debut as graduate manager after concluding her playing career at Denver, which included three seasons under current USU head coach Kayla Ard.
HOME GROWN
Utah State has four players from the state of Utah in senior forward Taylor Franson (American Fork, Utah), sophomores Halle Nelson (American Fork, Utah) and Kinley Falslev (Benson, Utah), and redshirt freshman Amit Lustgarten (Salt Lake City, Utah).
PACIFIC PIPELINE
Utah State's 2021-22 roster presents a plethora of Pacific flair, with six players joining USU from Pacific-coast states (Washington, Oregon, California and Hawaii). Junior Faith Brantley (Tacoma) and sophomore Olivia Wikstrom (Bainbridge Island) call Washington home. Junior Shyla Latone (San Diego) and senior Kaylin Randhawa (Turlock) come from California. Sophomore Meagan Mendazona (Monmouth) represents Oregon while junior Kamalu Kamakawiwo'ole hails from Hawaii.
CLOSING IN ON HISTORY
Senior guard Emmie Harris enters this week's play having suited up 113 times for the Aggies, leaving her with one game away from tying for ninth all-time in program history. Harris will have the chance to pass numerous Aggies this season given good health. Former USU standouts Hailey Bassett, Rachel Brewster and Jennifer Schlott hold the all-time record with 126 games played in an Aggie uniform.
HIGH FLYERS
Through two games, Utah State's offense has proven powerful. It is the first time the Aggies have scored 80+ points in back-to-back games since November of 2017 when the Aggies scored 84 and 92 points versus UC Irvine and Dixie State, respectively. At 84.0 points per game, the Aggies rank 43rd nationally.
FREE FOR THE TAKING
Kaylin Randhawa is currently tied for the most made free throws in the nation with 19 while also ranking third in total free throw attempts (23). Olivia Wikstrom also appears on the national lists, ranking 19th with 18 FTAs and 27th with 13 makes. At 23.5 made free throws per game, the Aggies are currently tied for the third-most made free throws per game in the country. With 47 total made free throws on the year, Utah State ranks ninth nationally and holds the top spot in the Mountain West for both free throw makes and attempts.
LEADERS IN THE MOUNTAIN WEST
Two games into the 2021-22 campaign, the Aggies find themselves at the top of several statistical categories in the Mountain West. At 84.0 points per game, USU boasts the highest-scoring offense in the conference thus far. Utah State has also averaged the second-most steals per game (11.5), the third-best turnover margin (+7.5) and the third-best shooting percentage from 3-point territory(.425).
Several individual Aggies have also placed their names near the top of the conference. At 22.0 points per game, Kaylin Randhawa has been the most prolific scorer in the MW this season. Olivia Wikstrom follows not far behind in sixth with 16.5 points per game. Adryana Quezada's 4.0 offensive rebounds per game are tops in the conference and she also ranks fifth in total rebounding (8.0 rpg). Randhawa also has the fourth-best overall shooting percentage while Wikstrom ranks third in the conference for both 3-point percentage and 3-pointers per game. Wikstrom also ranks third with 3.5 steals per game with Meagan Mendazona ranking eighth with 2.0.
LAST WEEK'S CAREER HIGHS
Several Aggies posted career-high marks in last week's wins over Westminster and CS Fullerton. Kaylin Randhawa set a new personal best with 28 points in the game versus CS Fullerton. Randhawa also set new marks for both free throws made (13) and free throws attempted (15). E'Lease Stafford also set a new personal best with four assists versus the Titans.
Sophomore Olivia Wikstrom set new career-highs almost across the board versus CS Fullerton. The transfer from Northern Colorado set new marks for points (21), field goals attempted (11), 3-pointers made (4), 3-pointers attempted (8), FTs made (9), FTs attempted (12), assists (5), steals (5) and minutes played (31).
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