AGGIE TIP-OFF
Utah State women's basketball (4-3) continues its nonconference schedule with a split week at home and on the road. First, the Aggies will host Arkansas State (4-5, 0-0 SBC) on Wednesday, Dec. 8, at 6 p.m. (MT). USU will then head on the road to take on Ball State (4-3, 0-0 MAC) on Saturday, Dec. 11, at 11 a.m. (MT).
HOW TO FOLLOW
Radio coverage for both games will be provided by 92.3 KBLU with Ajay Salvesen and AJ Knight 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 RED WOLVES
Wednesday will be the first meeting between Utah State and Arkansas State. The Aggies are 5-0 all-time versus current Sun Belt teams with two previous wins over UT-Arlington and three wins over Texas State.
SCOUTING THE RED WOLVES
Arkansas State is 4-5 to begin the 2021-22 season after going 9-12 last year, including 4-10 in Sun Belt play. This year, the Red Wolves are averaging 79.3 points per game while shooting 41.4 percent (254-613), 31.9 percent (59-185) from 3-point range and 70.0 percent (147-210) from the free throw line. Opponents have managed 75.0 points per game against Arkansas State while shooting 43.4 percent (240-553) from the field and 32.7 percent (66-202) from behind the 3-point line. The Red Wolves have turned the ball over 14.2 times per game while forcing 18.6 turnovers per game from their opponents.
Three players average double figures in points for the Red Wolves, led by junior Trinitee Jackson at 12.9 points per game, followed by junior Keya Patton (12.1) and freshman Lauryn Pendleton (11.3). Jackson also leads Arkansas State with 9.2 rebounds per contest. Patton holds the team lead with 1.8 steals per game alongside 3.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists. Pendleton adds 5.7 rebounds and a team-high 2.7 assists per game. Senior Morgan Wallace adds 9.7 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. Freshman Jade Upshaw and junior Jireh Washington also added 8.8 and 8.3 points per game, respectively.
AGGIES VERSUS CARDINALS
Saturday will be the first meeting between Utah State and Ball State. USU is 0-2 against current MAC opponents, having lost once previously to both Bowling Green and Western Michigan.
SCOUTING THE CARDINALS
The Cardinals stand at 4-3 on the young season after finishing 14-11 a year ago, including 12-8 mark in the MAC. This season, Ball State has averaged 71.4 points per game while holding opponents to 68.3. The Cardinals are shooting 41.6 percent (185-445) from the floor, 29.9 percent (63-211) from 3-point range and 67.7 percent (67-99) on free throws. Opponents have shot 43.1 percent (168-390) from the field and 33.1 percent (41-124) on 3-pointers versus the Cardinals. Ball State has forced 19.0 turnovers per game while coughing up possession only 13.4 times per game.
Junior Anna Clephane leads the team as Ball State's only player averaging double figures at 16.0 points per game. Clephane also averages 3.0 rebounds and a team-high 1.6 steals per game. Freshman Ally Becki paces the Cardinals with 5.4 rebounds per contest with senior Thelma Dis Agustsdottir and freshman Marie Kiefer both close behind with 4.9 rebounds per game. Dis Agustsdottir also adds 9.9 points per game. Junior Sydney Freeman leads Ball State with 4.3 assists per game to go along with 9.0 points.
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 six 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. Senior Kaylin Randhawa also joins the team after spending three seasons at Pacific.
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.
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.
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).
CLOSING IN ON HISTORY
Senior guard Emmie Harris enters this week's play having suited up 118 times for the Aggies, placing her eighth all-time in Utah State 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 seven games, Utah State's scoring average of 73.0 points per game would qualify as the program's sixth-highest season average and the highest mark since averaging 77.3 points per game in the 2013-14 season. In the Aggies' first two games of the year, an 83-78 win over Westminster followed by an 85-75 victory of Cal State Fullerton, Utah State topped the 80-point plateau in consecutive games for the first time since reaching the marks versus UC Irvine and Dixie State in November of 2017.
THREE'S COMPANY
Utah State is currently shooting 33.5 percent from 3-point range this season which would be the third-best 3-point shooting percentage in Aggie history, trailing the marks of 38.4 percent set in 2011-12 and 33.9 percent in 2009-10. The Aggies have converted 7.7 3-pointers per game so far this season which would narrowly trail the 2012-13 season for most made 3-pointers per game.
FREE FOR THE TAKING
Junior Kaylin Randhawa is currently ranked 28th nationally in total made free throws made and tied for 54th in free throw attempts, also ranking first and tied for second in the Mountain West in the respective categories. The senior from Turlock, California, has made 38-of-43 free throws this season. Randhawa's FT percentage of 88.4 percent is tied for 47th nationally and ranks third in the MW. Sophomore Olivia Wikstrom also ranks 12th in the MW for free throw percentage (75.0 percent) among players with at least 20 FT attempts. As a team, Utah State ranks first in the Mountain West for in free throw makes (15.0) per game and second in total free throw attempts (20.6). The Aggies' current mark of 72.9 percent on free throws would also rank sixth all-time in program history.
RAIN MAKER
With seven 3-pointers versus Southeastern Louisiana, junior Shyla Latone now has three of the top eight performances from behind the arc in Utah State history and two of the top three. The native of San Diego, California, also had six made threes at San Diego State on Jan. 14, 2021, and tied Devyn Christensen's program record of nine made 3-pointers versus New Mexico on March 1, 2020.
LEADERS IN THE MOUNTAIN WEST
Several weeks into the 2021-22 campaign, the Aggies find themselves near the top of several statistical categories in the Mountain West. At 73.0 points per game, USU boasts the third-highest scoring offense in the conference thus far. The Aggies also rank third in offensive rebounds per game (13.6), 3-pointers per game (7.7), and defensive 3-point percentage (28.7 percent).
Individually, senior Kaylin Randhawa ranks second in the MW with 17.9 points per game, placing her 64th in the nation. Randhawa also ranks fourth in steals per game (2.1 spg) and fifth in in 3-pointers per game (2.1). Senior Laci Hawthorne ranks third in the MW with 2.7 offensive rebounds per game with junior Adryana Quezada close behind at fifth with 2.4. Quezada and Hawthorne also rank sixth (6.7) and 14th (5.3) in total rebounds per game, respectively. Junior Faith Brantley sits at 10th in the conference with a 1.2/1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Senior E'Lease Stafford also ranks sixth with 1.0 blocks per game.
HIGH SCORES
Last week versus Dixie State, senior Laci Hawthorne tied career-high marks with 21 points and 10 made field goals. Senior E'Lease Stafford also tied her career-best with 10 rebounds in the contest. Sophomore Olivia Wikstrom also tied a career-high with one block.
- USU -
