AGGIE TIP-OFF
Utah State (4-13, 1-5 MW) finishes off a stretch of four games in eight days with a split week of competition. The Aggies will host Air Force (9-10, 4-3 MW) at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum on Thursday, Jan. 19, at 6 p.m. (MT), before venturing back to California to take on San Jose State (2-16, 0-7 MW) on Saturday, Jan. 21, at 3 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
Thursday will be the 23rd all-time meeting between Utah State and Air Force. The Aggies lead the series, 14-8, though the Falcons have won the last three meetings, including a 77-63 victory earlier this season in Colorado Springs. AF won the most recent matchup at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, 65-52 on Dec. 31, 2021, after back-to-back home victories by USU.
 
AGGIES VERSUS SPARTANS
Utah State and San Jose State will play for the 34th time on Saturday with USU leading the all-time series, 19-14. The Aggies won, 63-61, in the most recent contest on January 27, 2022, in San Jose. The win snapped a streak of four straight Spartan victories in the series. USU previously won 10 straight against SJSU (2008-12) and 14 of 16 extending through 2015.
 
SCOUTING THE FALCONS
By going 19-14 in 2021-22, the Falcons recorded their most wins in a season and the program's first postseason tournament appearnace  since moving to Division-I in 1996. Air Force defeated San Francisco, 64-60, in the first round of the WNIT before falling to UCLA in the second round. This year, the Falcons have started 4-3 in Mountain West play and 9-10 overall. Air Force has won two straight games, both at home, against Fresno State (71-68) and San Jose State (77-70). All three of AF's conference losses have come by 12 points or less, with two losses being decided by five or fewer points.
 
The Falcons are averaging 65.1 points per game this season and allow only 64.7 points per game to thier opponents. AF shoots 40.0 percent from the field (460-of-1,150), 31.3 percent from 3-point territory (100-of-320) and 73.0 percent (216-of296) from the free throw line. Opponents have managed to shoot 46.1 percent from the floor (461-of-999) and 28.4 percent on 3-point attempts (65-of-229). The Falcons average 30.4 rebounds per game and have been outrebounded by an average of 7.9 boards per contest. AF averages 12.5 assists per game alongside 14.2 turnovers and have forced their opponents into 21.4 turnovers per game. Air Force's mark of 12.1 steals per game and a turnover margin of +7.2 are both the highest of any team in the MW. Kamri Heath leads the Falcons with 13.3 points while Madison Smith also averages double-figures with 12.6 points per showing. Kayla Pilson adds 9.8 points per game and also leads the team with 4.8 rebounds per game. Jo Huntimer leads the team in assists, steals and blocks per game with respective averages of 4.7, 2.1 and 0.5 per contest.
 
SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
Head coach April Phillips is in her first season at San Jose State and her first season as head coach at a Division-I program. Phillips did serve as an associate head coach at Loyola Marymount and as and as an assistant coach at Texas, Cal and Arizona prior to become head coach at SJSU. This season, the Spartans are off to a 2-16 overall record. At 0-7, SJSU is still looking for its first conference win of the season. San Jose State is averaging 54.5 points per game and has allowed 67.7 points per game to its opponents. The Spartans have shot 35.9 percent from the field (359-of-999), 28.7 percent from behind the arc (76-of-265) and 64.9 percent on free throws (187-of-288). Opponents have shot 44.8 percent overall (419-of-936) and 32.6 percent on 3-point attempts (117-of-359). The Spartans have been outrebounded by an average of 3.4 rebounds per game while collecting 32.3 boards per contest. San Jose State has garnered 7.9 assists to 18.6 turnovers per game and have forced opponents into 18.9 turnovers per contest.
 
Marisa Davis-Jones leads the Spartans in both scoring and rebounding with 11.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. Jada Holland is the lone other Spartan averaging double-digits with 10.0 points per contest. Holland also leads SJSU with 2.8 assists and 2.4 steals per game while Amhyia Moreland leads the way with 0.8 blocks per contest. 
 
ICYMI
Utah State went 1-1 in its past two games: a two-game road trip at Nevada and Fresno State. The Aggies lost to the Wolf Pack, 78-58, in its only game last week. Graduate forward Ashya Klopfenstein led the Aggies with 16 points, including a 12-for-14 performance from the charity stripe. Junior guard Tamiah Robinson chipped in 13 points, while graduate guard Maria Carvalho added nine points and a team-high seven rebounds. USU went 27-for-31 from the free throw line for the game, tied for the fourth-most made free throws in a single game in Utah State history. The Aggies rebounded against the Bulldogs, snapping an eight-game losing streak with a 68-58 win. Graduate forward Prima Chellis keyed the victory with her first career double-double, posting 15 points and 10 rebounds. Carvalho led the Aggies in scoring with 16 points, also adding five rebounds. Robinson added 15 points alongside six rebounds and a team-high four assists. Junior guard Olivia Wikstrom also reached double figures with 12 points and led the team with three steals. Robinson and Klopfenstein tied for the team lead with two blocks apiece.
 
CHARITY STARTS AT HOME
By going 27-for-31 and 20-for-23 from the free throw line in back-to-back games against Nevada and Fresno State, respectively, Utah State topped 20 made free throws in consecutive contests for the second time since 2015. The Aggies also achieved the feat in back-to-back games against Fresno State in 2022. In USU's past three games against the Bulldogs, the Aggies are averaging 21.0 made free throws on 24.3 attempts per game.
 
Utah State's mark of 74.1 percent from the FT line so far this season ranks fifth in the Mountain West and currently ranks as the fifth-best FT shooting percentage for a season in Aggie history.
 
GONE IN 60... POINTS
Utah State is undefeated this season when holding its opponent under 60 points. The Aggies are 3-0 in such contests with wins over the College of Idaho (75-58), Utah Valley (65-55) and Fresno State (68-58). USU is also undefeated when holding its opponent below 36.0 percent shooting from the field, going 3-0 in such defensive performances against Fresno State, UVU and Weber State. 
 
ARE WE SURE WE HATE MONDAYS?
After their 68-58 win at Fresno State, the Aggies are now 2-0 when playing on Mondays this season. Additionally, Utah State is 4-3 when shooting better from 3-point territory than their opponent, 3-2 when recording fewer turnovers and are an undefeated 2-0 when scoring 70 points or more.
 
RANGEFINDERS
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. 
 
SPREADING IT AROUND
Utah State has had seven different players lead the team in scoring so far this season. Sophomore guard Cristina Oliva, graduate guards Maria Carvalho and Mayson Kimball, graduate forwards Prima Chellis and Ashya Klopfenstein, and junior guards Tamiah Robinson and Olivia Wikstrom have each led the Aggies in points this season with Kimball leading the way with five games under her belt as USU's leading scorer. Additionally, the Aggies have had 44 instances of a players scoring 10 or more points this season with seven different players so far accomplishing the feat. Carvalho and Wikstrom are tied for the team-lead with nine double-digit scoring efforts apiece.
 
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. Graduate forward Prima Chellis recorded Utah State's third double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds in a 68-58 win at Fresno State.
 
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 is tied for eighth in the conference in minutes played at 31.8 minutes per contest.
 
FULL SPEED AHEAD
Utah State is currently second among Mountain West teams for most possessions per game. The Aggies average 72.8 offensive possessions per game, tied for the 110th-fastest pace in the nation. USU's speed of play is only bested among MW teams by New Mexico (73.6 possessions per game).
 
SECOND CHANCES
Utah State currently sits among the conference's best rebounding teams. The Aggies currently rank second in the MW during conference play with 38.2 rebounds per game, ranking fourth over the entire season with 36.6 boards per contest. Utah State is also fourth in the conference with 12.1 offensive rebounds per game, moving to third with 11.7 second chances generated in MW play. Four different Aggies rank in the top-25 of the conference for offensive rebounds per game during conference action.
 
CAREER BESTS
Utah State players recorded a plethora of career performances in USU's last two games out. Against the Wolf Pack, graduate forward Ashya Klopfenstein had a career game with 16 points, tying her career high. Klopfenstein also set career marks with 12 made free throws and 14 free throw attempts in the game and tied her career high of three 3-point attempts. Freshman guard Natalie Fraley recorded her first career block against Nevada and tied her career-high marks of one steal and two made FTs. Graduate guard Maria Carvalho also set a new career-high of 14 rebounds against the Wolf Pack. In USU's 68-58 win at Fresno State, graduate forward Prima Chellis set net career marks with eight FTs made and nine FTs attempted, also tying her career-high with 29 minutes played for the fifth time in her career. Junior guard Tamiah Robinson tied her career highs with two blocks and four made FTs. Sophomore guard Cristina Oliva tied her career high with one steal versus the Bulldogs while Klopfenstein also tied her career high with two blocks.
 
COMPARATIVELY SPEAKING
Utah State ranks among the upper half of the Mountain West in several statistics, including 3-point field goals per game (6.7, 3rd), free throws attempted per game (18.6, 3rd), free throws made per game (13.8, 3rd), rebounds per game (36.6, 4th), offensive rebounds per game (12.1, 4th) and fifth in free throw percentage (74.1%). In conference play, the Aggies also rank first in FT attempts per game (21.7), first in made FTs per game (17.2), second in FT percentage (79.2%), second in rebounds per game (38.2), third in offensive rebounds per game (11.7), third in steals per game (8.8), fourth in rebounding margin (+1.5), fourth in blocks per game (3.5) and fifth in defensive rebounds per game (26.5).
 
Individually, junior Tamiah Robinson ranks in the top 25 in the Mountain West in assists per game (3.3, T-7th), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.1, 8th), rebounds per game (4.5, T-19th), offensive rebounds per game (0.9, T-22nd), defensive rebounds per game (3.5, T-15th), steals per game (1.3, T-23rd), blocks per game (0.6, T-11th) and minutes per game (27.9, 24th). Additionally, Robinson also ranks fifth in MW play for blocks per game with 1.3 rejections per contest. Graduate guard Maria Carvalho is currently 16th in scoring (11.0 points per game), T-11th with 1.4 3-point field goals per game, 11th with 5.4 rebounds per game, T-10th with 1.9 offensive rebounds per game, T-15th with 3.5 defensive rebounds per game, T-13th with 2.4 assists per game, T-18th with 1.4 steals per game and T-8th with 31.8 minutes per game. Carvalho is also T-6th with 2.0 offensive rebounds per game in conference play and T-9th with 1.8 steals per conference game. Graduate guard Mayson Kimball ranks T-17th with 1.2 made threes per game, T-19th with 4.5 rebounds per game, 21st with 1.0 offensive boards per game and T-15th with 3.5 defensive rebounds per game. Junior guard Olivia Wikstrom is T-17th with 1.2 made 3-pointers per game and T-16th with 1.5 steals per game. Senior forward Ashya Klopfenstein is T-16th in MW action with 5.2 rebounds per game, 15th with 1.5 offensive boards per game, T-17th with 3.7 defensive boards per game and 14th with 1.5 steals per contest in conference play. Junior guard Kinley Falslev-Wickizer ranks T-5th in conference play with 2.0 made threes per game and graduate forward Abby Wahl is T-13th with 0.7 blocks per game in conference action.
 
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. 
 
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 -