AGGIE TIP-OFF
Utah State women's basketball (7-15, 2-10 MW) travels to Fort Collins, Colorado, on Wednesday, Feb. 9, to take on Colorado State (14-7, 5-6 MW) at 6 p.m. The Aggies then return to the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum to host Boise State (8-14, 4-7 MW) on Saturday, Feb. 12, at 2 p.m.
HOW TO FOLLOW
Radio coverage will be provided by 92.3 KBLU with Ajay Salvesen 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.
TRUE-BLOODED AGGIE
Senior guard
Emmie Harris set the program record for career games played after making her 127th appearance in an Aggie uniform in the 76-66 victory against Wyoming on Jan. 22. She has now appeared in a 131 career games during her five-year Utah State career.
LEADERS IN THE MOUNTAIN WEST
The Aggies rank in the top-four in several statistical categories in the Mountain West in the 2021-22 campaign, including free throws made per game (12.18, 2nd), offensive rebounds per game (12.27, 3rd), blocks (2.91, 4th), turnovers forced per game (15.32, 4th) and 3-point field goals per game (6.36, 4th).
Utah State also ranks in the top-10 in various individual categories in the MW as junior guard/forward
Adryana Quezada ranks third in field goal percentage (.516), tied for third in offensive rebounds per game (2.95), sixth in rebounding (7.80 rpg) and ninth in defensive rebounds per game (4.85). Graduate forward
Laci Hawthorne ranks ninth in both offensive rebounds per game (2.53) and blocks per game (0.74). Senior guard
Kaylin Randhawa ranks fifth in free throw percentage (.827), senior guard
Emmie Harris ranks seventh in assist/turnover ratio (1.82), while senior guard/forward
E'Lease Stafford ranks eighth in blocks per game (0.78).
AGGIES VERSUS RAMS
Wednesday's game will mark the 37th meeting between the Aggies and Rams as Colorado State leads the all-time series 23-13 including 14-5 in games played in Fort Collins. USU and CSU previously met in Logan, where Utah State lost 88-72 on Jan. 19. Three Aggies scored in double figures in the loss in junior guard/forward
Adryana Quezada (30), senior guard/forward
E'Lease Stafford (13) and graduate forward
Laci Hawthorne (13).
Stafford registered a double-double in the game with 10 boards, while senior guard
Emmie Harris dished out a career-high 12 assists.
SCOUTING THE RAMS
Colorado State is 14-7, including 5-6 in MW play, in the 2021-22 season. The Rams average 69.2 points per game while shooting 41.5 percent (531-of-1,278) from the field, 35.2 percent (167-of-475) from behind the arc and 75.7 percent (224-of-296) at the free throw line. CSU allows 62.3 points per game with opponents shooting 37.6 percent (503-of-1,339) from the floor, 31.7 percent (138-of-435) from behind the 3-point line and 70.8 percent (165-of-233) at the free throw line.
Three Rams average double figures in scoring in junior guard McKenna Hofschild (15.5 ppg), graduate guard Upe Atosu (14.2 ppg) and graduate forward Karly Murphy (11.9 ppg). CSU is led in rebounding by Murphy (9.1 rpg), assists by Hofschild (6.2 apg), steals by Atosu (0.9 spg) and blocks by redshirt junior guard/forward Sydney Mech (1.8 bpg).
AGGIES VERSUS BRONCOS
Saturday's game will mark the 41st meeting between the Aggies and Broncos as Boise State leads the all-time series 29-11 including a 13-6 mark in games played in Logan. USU and Boise State previously met in Boise, Idaho, on Jan. 9, as the Broncos won 71-47. Senior guard
Kaylin Randhawa and junior guard/forward
Adryana Quezada led the Aggies with 11 and 10 points each.
SCOUTING THE BRONCOS
Boise State is 8-14, including 4-7 in Mountain West action, in 2021-22. The Bronocs average 62.5 points per game while shooting 39.5 percent (517-of-1,308) from the field, 27.8 percent (96-of-345) from behind the arc and 64.2 percent (244-of-380) at the charity stripe. Boise State allows 62.9 points per game with opponents shooting 38.3 percent (494-of-1,291) from the floor, 29.7 percent (121-of-407) from behind the 3-points line and 73.9 percent (274-of-371) at the free throw line.
A pair of Broncos average double figures in scoring in redshirt senior guard Dominique Leonidas (11.2 ppg) and sophomore forward Abby Muse (10.1 ppg). Muse leads Boise State in rebounds (7.8 rpg) and blocks (1.3 bpg), Leonidas leads in steals (1.4 spg) and sophomore guard Mary Kay Naro leads in assists (3.7 apg).
SPREADING THE WEALTH
Eight different Aggies have scored in double figures this season, led by senior guard
Kaylin Randhawa with 13 double-figure outings, while senior guard/forward
E'Lease Stafford and junior guard/forward
Adryana Quezada have each scored in double figures 12 times.
STARTING CONTRIBUTORS
Utah State's starting lineup has accounted for 73.3 percent (1,067) of the points and 67.4 percent (523) of the rebounds during the 2021-22 season.
BENCH WORK
Utah State's bench has outscored its opponents' 389-348. The Aggie bench has registered 20-or-more points in nine contests, including five games of 30-plus points.
A USU bench player has scored in double figures 13 times this season and has led the team in scoring in five matchups. Junior guard
Shyla Latone posted the best performance by an Aggie off the bench this season with 23 points in the 73-71 victory at Southeastern (Nov. 27).
FREE FOR THE TAKING
Utah State ranks second in the Mountain West in total free throws made per game (12.18) and ranks fifth in free throw attempts per game (15.59). The Aggies' current mark of 71.8 percent at the charity stripe ranks seventh all-time in program history.
GLASS CLEANERS
Utah State averages 38.32 rebounds per game which ranks just outside the top-10 all-time in program history. USU ranks sixth in the Mountain West in rebounds per game (38.32) and is sixth in the MW in rebounds per game in league play (38.83).
Three Aggies rank in the top-20 in the conference in rebounds per game in junior guard/forward
Adryana Quezada (7.80 rpg, 6th), senior guard/forward
E'Lease Stafford (5.71 rpg, 17th) and graduate forward
Laci Hawthorne (5.32 rpg, 20th).
Quezada (8.00, 10th),
Stafford (7.45 rpg, 11th) and
Hawthorne (5.72 rpg, 19th) also rank in the top-20 in rebounds per game in Mountain West contests.
GIVING THEMSELVES A SECOND CHANCE
The Aggies rank third in the Mountain West in offensive rebounds per game at 12.27. Junior guard/forward
Adryana Quezada is tied for third in the MW in offensive boards per game at 2.95, while graduate forward
Laci Hawthorne (2.53 orpg) ranks ninth. In league play,
Quezada ranks eighth (2.80 orpg),
Hawthorne is 10th (2.64) and senior guard/forward
E'Lease Stafford ranks 15th (2.09).
ICE IN THE VEINS
Three of USU's seven wins this season have come in the final seconds of the game. Senior guard
Kaylin Randhawa hit two game-winning threes in the final seconds of regulation in the 73-71 victory at Southeastern (Nov. 27) and knocked down another game-winning triple three games later inside the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum in the 66-65 win over Arkansas State (Dec. 8). Graduate forward
Laci Hawthorne rebounded a missed Aggie free throw with 0.6 seconds left on the clock and put it back to beat the buzzer for the 63-61 victory at San José State (Jan. 27).
WINNING THE CLOSE ONES
Over half of Utah State's wins this season have been decided by five points or less as the Aggies are 4-2 in such contests.
THREE'S COMPANY
USU is 6-2 this season when shooting better than its opponent from behind the arc.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE TOIL AND TROUBLE
Junior guard
Adryana Quezada and senior guard/forward
E'Lease Stafford have each registered multiple double-doubles this season with six and three, respectively.
Quezada's six double-doubles are tied for fourth in the Mountain West. Over half of USU's wins this season (four) have come when either
Quezada or
Stafford register a double-double.
DROPPING DIMES
Utah State dished out a season-best 22 assists on 25 made field goals in the 63-61 victory at San José State (Jan. 27). The Aggies have dished out double-digit assists 15 times this season, including four games with 20 or more dimes.
DROPPING DIMES - PART II
Senior guard
Emmie Harris dished out a career-high 12 assists against Colorado State (Jan. 19), to tie for the third-most assists in a single game in program history.
Harris became the first Aggie to drop double-digit assists since
Eliza West had 11 at San Diego State on Jan. 27, 2019.
DROPPING DIMES - PART III
Senior guard
Emmie Harris has registered 204 career assists and just needs 11 more dimes to enter the top-10 for assists on the USU career record list.
DOING THE THIRTY WORK
Junior guard/forward
Adryana Quezada registered a season-high 30 points against Colorado State (Jan. 19) to tie for 37th in scoring on the single-game record list.
RAIN MAKER
With seven 3-pointers versus Southeastern, junior guard
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 3s 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.
CLOSING IN ON THE CENTENNIAL MARK
Several Aggies have played in or are close to having played in 100 career games. Two Aggies have worn a USU uniform in every game of their respective careers in senior guard
Emmie Harris (131) and senior forward
Taylor Franson (92). Graduate forward
Laci Hawthorne has appeared in 119 career games, including 19 at Utah State, while senior guard
Kaylin Randhawa has appeared in her 102 career games. Two other Aggies are closing in on 100 career games in senior guard/forward
E'Lease Stafford (98) and senior point guard
Manna Mensah (96).
AGGIE RETURNERS
Utah State returns seven 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. 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
Owlivia 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 the 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 five players joining USU from Pacific-coast states (Washington, Oregon, California and Hawaii). Sophomore
Olivia Wikstrom (Bainbridge Island) calls 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).
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