AGGIE TIP-OFF
Utah State (3-8, 0-0 MW) enters Mountain West action this week, starting with a road contest at Air Force (5-7, 0-0 MW) on Thursday, Dec. 29, at 6:30 p.m. (MT). The Aggies will then ring out 2022 with a home matchup against San Diego State (10-3, 0-0 MW) on Saturday, Dec. 31, at 5 p.m. (MT).
 
HOW TO FOLLOW
Radio coverage will be provided by 92.3 KBLU with Ajay Salvesen calling play-by-play. 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 for live streaming will be available online prior to the game.
 
AGGIES VERSUS FALCONS
This will be the 22nd all-time between Utah State and Air Force, with the Aggies holding the all-time edge, 14-7. The Falcons won both contests during the 2021-22 season, winning in Logan, 65-52, and in Colorado Springs, 67-56. USU is 5-3 all-time in Colorado Springs, including two of the previous three matchups.
 
AGGIES VERSUS AZTECS
Utah State will play San Diego State for the 20th time on Saturday. The Aztecs lead the all-time series, 12-7, and have one each of the past three matchups and five of the previous six. USU's last win in the series came via an 81-79 overtime victory in the first round of the 2020 MW tournament. The Aggies won four of five contests at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum from 2014 through 2017 but have not won a home game in the series in the three matchups since, losing two by a single possession.
 
SCOUTING THE FALCONS
Head coach Chris Gobrecht is in her eighth year at the helm of the Falcons and in her 43rd head coaching season at the Division-I level, picking up her 600th career victory earlier this season. Gobrecht led the Falcons to a 19-14 record in 2021-22, the program's first winning record since 1994-95. AFA went 11-7 in MW action and reached the quarterfinals of the MW tournament. This year, the Falcons are 5-7 entering league play and have scored 63.1 points per game while holding opponents to 64.2 points per contest. The Falsons are shooting 38.0 percent from the floor, 27.4 percent on 3-point attempts and 74.0 percent from the charity stripe. Opponents have managed to shoot 44.4 percent from the field but only 26.5 percent from 3-point territory. AFA garners 32.3 rebounds per game but have been outrebounded by 8.0 rebounds per contest. The Falcons register 12.1 assists per game to 14.6 turnovers and have forced opponents into 22.3 turnovers per game, including 13.0 steals.
 
The Falcons are led in scoring by senior Kamri Heath at 15.4 points per game who also records 2.6 steals per contest. Sophomore Madison Smith and junior Kayla Pilson follow close behind at 12.0 and 10.1 points per game, respectively. Pilson also leads the team with 6.0 rebounds per game. Sophomore Jo Huntimer records 4.8 assists while only turning the ball over 2.8 times per game. 
 
SCOUTING THE AZTECS
Head coach Stacie Terry-Hutson is in her 10th season as coach of the Aztecs, having gone 109-61 across her first nine campaigns. In 2021-22, Terry-Hutson and SDSU went 15-16, including an 8-10 mark in MW play, but were eliminated in the first round of the MW tournament. This season, the Aztecs are 10-3 entering MW action, the team's best start to a season since 2008-09. SDSU has scored 66.2 points per game, outscoring opponents by 13.2 points per contest. The Aztecs are shooting 42.9 percent from the floor, 36.2 percent from 3-point territory and 70.6 percent from the free throw line. Opponents have shot 35.4 percent from the floor against San Diego State, including 26.3 percent from 3-point range. SDSU rebounds 34.3 boards per game, good for a +0.8 advantage over opponents, and also record 14.6 assists per game. San Diego State has surrendered 16.0 turnovers per game but have forced 20.8 turnovers per contest out of their opponents.
 
The Aztecs are led by a trio of double-digits scorers in sophomore Asia Avinger (11.9) and seniors Mercedes Staples (11.8) and Sophia Ramos (10.8). Ramos also leads the team in both assists (3.2 per game) and steals (2.6 per game) while junior Kim Villalobos leads the team with 5.1 rebounds per game. Three Aztecs are also shooting over 40.0 percent on 3-point attempts in Avinger (53.8 percent, 7-for-13), Staples (47.2 percent, 25-for-53) and Ramos (42.6 percent, 23-for-54).
 
ICYMI
The Aggies closed out its non-conference schedule with an 84-54 loss at Eastern Washington. The Eagles led by as many as 36 points in the third quarter before a 9-0 run by the Aggies helped trim the lead to 22 points on multiple occasions in the fourth quarter, though USU was unable to cut into the deficit further. Graduate forward Prima Chellis led USU with 14 points with five rebounds while senior forward Ashya Klopfenstein led the way with nine rebounds, also tying for the team lead with three assists to go along with seven points. Junior guard Tamiah Robinson also registered three assists for the game while sophomore guard Cristina Oliva finished with nine points and five rebounds.
 
SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION
Air Force returns two starts and six total letterwinners from last year's squad which notched victories in both of matchups against Utah State. San Diego State returns three starters and seven total letterwinners from last year's squad which earned two victories against USU. Senior forward Adryana Quezada is also in her first season with SDSU after spending her junior year at Utah State, earning all-Mountain West honorable mention honors after averaging 15.2 points and 7.9 rebounds across 28 games. Quezada has yet to appear for the Aztecs this season. 
 
RANGEFINDERS
• Utah State is off to one of its best shooting seasons from behind the 3-point line in program history. The Aggies are currently averaging 7.4 made threes per games, ranking third in the Mountain West, shooting 33.5 percent (81-of-242) on 3-point attempts, the fourth-best mark in the conference. It also stands as the third-best team percentage for a season in USU history behind only the 2011-12 squad's mark of 38.4 percent and the 2009-10 team's mark of 33.9 percent. USU has also made 10 3-point field goals in a game three times this season, reaching the mark against Arkansas State, Weber State and Utah Valley. This is the first season in which the Aggies have registered at least three games with double-digit three-pointers since the 2013-14 season.
 
• Utah State went 8-16 on 3-point attempts versus Southeastern Louisiana, the first time the team has shot 50 percent or better from behind the arc since shooting 13-24 (54.2 percent) in a 76-66 win versus Wyoming on January 22, 2022. 
 
PUTTING IN THE ARD WORK
Utah State head coach Kayla Ard put in a record of 8-10 in nonconference play across her first two seasons at the helm of the Aggies, the best record by an Aggie coach in nonconference play in their first two seasons since Cindy Perkins in 1978-80. This season, Ard became the first coach in USU history to win her first three season openers. 
 
SPREADING IT AROUND
Utah State has had six different players lead the team in scoring so far this season. Sophomore guard Cristina Oliva, graduate guards Maria Carvalho and Mayson Kimball, graduate forward Prima Chellis, and junior guards Tamiah Robinson and Olivia Wikstrom have each led the Aggies in points this season with Kimball leading the way with four games under her belt as USU's leading scorer. Additionally, the Aggies have had 29 instances of a players scoring 10 or more points this season with six different players so far accomplishing the feat. Wikstrom leads the Aggies with seven double-digit scoring s
 
DOUBLING UP
Both Tamiah Robinson and and Olivia Wikstrom recorded a double-double in USU's game versus Arkansas State, the first time two Aggies have registered double-doubles in the same game since Hailey Bassett (18/12) and Shannon Dufficy (14/12) accomplished the feat against Colorado State on January 19, 2019. Robinson finished with 10 points and 10 assists while Wikstrom recorded 16 points and 10 rebounds.
 
FULL-TIME WORKER
Graduate guard Maria Carvalho played all 40 minutes in Utah State's last game versus Southeastern Louisiana, the first Aggie to not leave the floor in a game this season. Last year, USU had five instances where a player played all 40 minutes of a game. Carvalho currently ranks second in the conference in minutes played at 35.8 minutes per contest.
 
FULL SPEED AHEAD
Utah State is currently tied for third among Mountain West teams for most possessions per game. The Aggies average 73.3 offensive possessions per game, tied for the 103rd-fastest pace in the nation. USU's speed of play is only bested among MW teams by New Mexico (74.5 possessions per game) and UNLV (73.6 possession per game).
 
SECOND CHANCES
Utah State currently sits among the conference's best offensive rebounding teams. The Aggies rank fourth in the conference with 12.4 offensive rebounds per game. Graduate forward Abby Wahl is also tied for ninth in the conference with 2.1 offensive rebounds per game while graduate guard Maria Carvalho ranks 15th at 1.9 offensive rebounds per contest. Carvalho also is 12th in the MW in total rebounds per game at 5.7, trailing only Nevada's Alyssa Jimenez for the most rebounds per game amongst MW guards. 
 
CAREER BESTS
Five Aggies recorded career-best marks in Utah State's loss to Eastern Washington. Freshman Isabella Tañedo set new high-water marks for points (5), made field goals (2), made 3-pointers (1), attempted free throws (2) and minutes played (16) while also tying her career-high of one steal. Sophomore Lillian Harris also set numerous career-best totals with four points, two made field goals, four field goal attempts, one 3-point attempt, two rebounds, two assists and 16 minutes played. Sophomore Cristina Oliva tied her career-best marks of two made free throws, two FT attempts and five rebounds. Senior forward Ashya Klopfenstein set a new personal-best of three 3-point attempts and tied her marks of 13 attempted field goals and three assists. Lastly, graduate forward Prima Chellis set a new career-best with six made free throws and tied her career-best of eight FT attempts.
 
COMPARATIVELY SPEAKING
Utah State ranks among the upper half of the Mountain West in several statistics, including 3-point field goals per game (7.4, 3rd), 3-point percentage (33.5 percent, 4th), offensive rebounds per game (12.4, 4th), free throws attempted per game (16.9, 4th) and free throws made per game (11.9, 4th).
 
Individually, graduate guard Maria Carvalho ranks 17th in the conference in points per game (11.6), fourth in minutes per game (33.5), ninth in assists per game (3.0), seventh in assist/turnover ratio (1.4), 12th in rebounds per game (5.7), T-15th in offensive rebounds per game (1.9) and T-10th in 3-point field goals per game (1.5). Graduate guard Mayson Kimball is also tied for 10th in the conference in 3-pointers per game (1.5) and 21st in points per game (10.5). Junior guard Tamiah Robinson is tied for fifth in assists per game (3.5), eighth in assist-turnover ratio (1.2), 14th in minutes per game (30.0), T-20th in rebounding (4.6 rpg), 15th in defensive rebounds per game (3.7) and T-21st in steals per game (1.4). Junior guard Olivia Wikstrom is ranks among the top-25 in the MW for points per game (10.0, 24th), 3-point field goals per game (1.4, T-14th) and steals per game (1.5, T-15th). Graduate forward Prima Chellis is also tied for 15th with 1.5 steals per game. Graduate forward Abby Wahl is tied for ninth in offensive rebounds per game (2.1), 24th in defensive rebounds per game (2.3) and tied for 23rd in total rebounds per game(4.4).
 
BLASTS FROM THE PAST
Utah State defeated Air Force, 53-52, on January 22, 2020, in USAFA, Colorado, exacting revenge for a home loss to the Falcons earlier that season at the Spectrum. The Aggies led by as many as 12 points in the game, carrying a 47-35 advantage into the final frame before an 11-0 AFA run trimmed USU's lead to a single point. Utah State never relinquished the lead, however, as the Aggies survived two game-winning attempts from Air Force in the final 16 seconds to escape with the one-point victory. USU was led by a trio of double-digit scorers in Steph Gorman (14), Hailey Bassett (13) and Lindsey Jensen-Baker (12).
 
The Aggies and Aztecs met for the only time in the Mountain West tournament on March 1, 2020, with the Aggies earning an 81-79 victory in overtime.Utah State became the first 11-seed in the history of the MW to win a tournament game. USU led by as many as 15 points early in the third quarter before SDSU stormed back with a 15-4 run. The Aggies rebuilt a double-digit lead at 63-53 with 6:27 remaining before San Diego State tied the game with a 10-0 run. USU inched ahead twice via the free throw line but was unable to win in regulation. The Aggies jumped out to an overtime lead, scoring the first five points before the Aztecs again clawed back to tie the game. On the final possession, senior Hailey Basset hit the go-ahead jumper with three seconds remaining to secure the upset victory for USU. Basset led the way with 29 points in the contest, helped along by Steph Gorman with 17 points and Lindsey Jensen-Baker with 14.
 
WELL TRAVELED
Utah State has players from nine different states on its roster, plus one international player in graduate senior Maria Carvalho. Additionally, the Aggies have no more than two players from any given state with Utah State possessing two players each from Indiana, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Washington.
 
WHAT'S RETURNING?
USU returns two letterwinners from last year's squad in juniors Kinley Falslev-Wickizer and Olivia Wikstrom. Falslev-Wickizer returns after averaging 1.8 points per game and shooting 14-43 (.326) on 3-pointers last season. Wikstrom averaged 4.5 points per game in addition to 2.9 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 0.9 steals per game.
 
TRANSFER-MATION COMPLETE
The Aggies welcome nine transfers in advance of the 2022-23 season. Utah State brings in four graduate transfers in Prima Chellis (SIU Edwardsville), Maria Carvalho (Utah Valley), Mayson Kimball (Merrimack College) and Abby Wahl (Eastern Illinois). A further two seniors join USU this season in Olivia Mason (Niagara) and Ashya Klopfenstein (Robert Morris). Tamiah Robinson (Labette Community College), Cristina Oliva (Sierra College) and Lillian Harris (CCBC Essex) also join Utah State after beginning their collegiate careers elsewhere.
 
USU also has three freshmen joining the roster for 2022-23 in Isabella Tañedo (Laurel, Maryland), Tiairra Hill-Brown (Las Vegas,Nevada) and Natalie Fraley (Kelso, Washington).
 
 - USU -