LOGAN, Utah – Utah State women's basketball (5-8, 0-3 MW) lost, 98-83, to New Mexico (12-4, 3-0 MW) on Thursday night inside the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.
The Aggies and Lobos battled in the opening quarter as UNM held a 16-12 lead with 4:18 to go. An 8-0 New Mexico run would give the Lobos a 24-12 advantage with under three minutes to play, but the Aggies responded with a 9-1 run to make it a four-point game at 25-21 with just under a minute remaining in the first. New Mexico hit a 3-pointer in the final seconds of the stanza for the 28-21 edge heading into the second quarter.
A 12-0 run early in the second gave New Mexico the 40-23 lead with 7:56 left in the period. The teams went back-and-forth for the remainder of the quarter as the Aggies trailed 55-42 at the halftime break.
New Mexico outscored Utah State, 29-19, in the third quarter to lead 84-61 at the end of the stanza. A late 6-0 Aggie run in the fourth quarter would trim the lead down to 15 at 95-80. The Lobos would win it, 98-83.
Senior guard
Kaylin Randhawa finished the night in double figures for the 10th time this season to lead Utah State with 19 points. A pair of Aggies nearly registered double-doubles as graduate forward
Laci Hawthorne had 13 points and a season-high nine rebounds, while senior guard/forward
E'Lease Stafford had eight points and a career-high 12 boards. Senior guard
Emmie Harris also ended the night in double figures with 11 points.
Utah State finished the night shooting 38.2 percent (29-of-76) from the field, 30.8 percent (8-of-26) from behind the arc and 72.7 percent (8-of-11) at the free throw line. New Mexico shot 43.8 percent (32-of-73) from the floor, 50.0 percent (21-of-42) from behind the arc and 76.5 percent (13-of-17) at the free throw line.
USU next travels Boise, Idaho, to take on Boise State (4-9, 0-2 MW) on Sunday, Jan. 9, at 2 p.m.
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 –