WEEKLY AGGIE UPDATE - JANUARY 9, 2023
Weekly Aggie Update
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Contact: Ashley Springer - (435) 797-5547
This Week
Tue., Jan. 10 --- WYOMING, 8:30 p.m. (FS1)
Fri., Jan. 13 --- at Nevada, 9 p.m. (MT) (FS1)
• Utah State men's basketball (13-3, 2-1 MW) continues Mountain West play this week with a pair of games as it hosts Wyoming (5-10, 0-3 MW) on Tuesday, Jan. 10, at 8:30 p.m., and plays at Nevada (14-3, 4-0 MW) on Friday, Jan. 13, at 9 p.m. (MT). USU is 33-52 all-time against the Cowboys, including a 22-18 home record, and 40-24 all-time against the Wolf Pack, including a 14-17 road record. Both games will be televised on Fox Sports 1 (Xfinity Ch. 265/HD691, DirecTV Ch. 219, DISH Ch. 150).
Last Week
W, 77-65 --- at Air Force
L, 59-82 --- at Boise State
• Utah State split its Mountain West road games last week with a 77-65 victory at Air Force and an 82-59 loss at Boise State. Against the Falcons, USU shot 51.0 percent (25-of-49) from the field, 50.0 percent (6-of-12) from behind the arc and 77.8 percent (21-of-27) at the free throw line, while AFA shot 43.3 percent (26-of-60) from the field, 34.6 percent (9-of-26) from behind the 3-point line and 57.1 percent (4-of-7) at the charity stripe. Four Aggies scored in double figures in graduate forward Taylor Funk with 16 points, junior guard Steven Ashworth with 15, senior guard Sean Bairstow with 11 and junior guard Max Shulga with 11. Against the Broncos, USU shot 39.7 percent (23-of-58) from the field, 33.3 percent (7-of-21) from behind the arc and 42.9 percent (6-of-14) at the free throw line. Boise State shot 50.0 percent (31-of-62) from the floor, 57.9 percent (11-of-19) from beyond the arc and 69.2 percent (9-of-13) at the free throw line. Funk led the Aggies with 14 points, while Bairstow added 10.
GYMNASTICS
Contact: Wade Denniston - (435) 797-1361
This Week
Fri., Jan. 13 --- vs. No. 6 Utah/No. 20 Southern Utah/BYU, 7 p.m.
Rio Tinto Best of Utah Meet, West Valley City, Utah
• Utah State gymnastics (0-0, 0-0 MRGC) ranked No. 34 in the WCGA Preseason Coaches' Poll, opens its 2023 season this weekend as the Aggies travel to West Valley City, Utah, to face No. 6 Utah, No. 20 Southern Utah and BYU in the fourth-annual Rio Tinto Best of Utah Meet on Friday, Jan. 13, at 7 p.m., at the Maverik Center. USU recorded a 195.875 at last year's Rio Tinto Best of Utah meet to place second.
Preseason Notes
• Under the direction of first-year head coach Kristin White, the Aggies return 12 gymnasts from last year's squad that enjoyed one of its finest seasons in program history and ended the year ranked No. 23 in the nation. Utah State capped the 2022 campaign by placing third in Session 1 of the second round of the NCAA Norman Regional with a team score of 196.825, which is the highest score in program history for an NCAA regional meet and the third-highest score in school history. USU also captured its first-ever Mountain Rim Gymnastics Conference championship in 2022 as the Aggies recorded a season-high score of 197.025, which ranks second all-time in school history. It marked USU's sixth conference title overall and its first since 2005 (Western Gymnastics Conference).
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Contact: Ajay Salvesen - (435) 797-2066
This Week
Sat., Jan. 14 --- at Nevada, 2 p.m. (MT) (MWN)
• Utah State's women's basketball (3-12, 0-4 MW) continues Mountain West play this week with a road game at Nevada (5-9, 2-1 MW) on Saturday, Jan. 14, at 2 p.m. (MT). USU is 20-16 all-time against the Wolf Pack, which includes a 6-11 road record. The game will be streamed live on the Mountain West Network and available at www.utahstateaggies.com/watch.
Last Week
L, 62-99 --- COLORADO STATE
L, 56-73 --- BOISE STATE
• Utah State posted an 0-2 Mountain West home record last week with a 99-62 loss to Colorado State and a 73-56 loss to Boise State. Against the Rams, USU was led by a quartet of double-figure scorers as senior forward Prima Chellis scored 15 points, graduate guard Maria Carvalho had 14 points, senior forward Ashya Klopfenstein had 13 points and junior guard Olivia Wikstrom finished with 11 points. For the game, USU shot 34.5 percent (19-of-55) from the field, 34.6 percent (9-of-26) from 3-point range, and 65.2 percent (15-of-23) at the free throw line. CSU shot 58.7 percent (37-of-63) from the field, 52.0 percent (13-of-25) from the behind arc and 85.7 percent (12-of-14) from the charity stripe. Against the Broncos, junior guard Tamiah Robinson led USU with 14 points and Chellis added 11 points. USU shot 30.5 percent (18-of-59) from the field, 12.5 percent (2-of-16) from 3-point range, and 81.8 percent (18-of-22) at the charity stripe. BSU shot 38.7 percent (27-of-62) from the field, 32.1 percent (9-of-28) from 3-point range, 72.7 percent (16-of-22) at the free throw line.
INDOOR TRACK & FIELD
Contact: Daniel Hansen - (435) 797-8584
This Week
Thur.-Sat., Jan. 12-14 --- at BYU Invitational
• Utah State's indoor track & field teams will begin their 2023 season at the BYU Invitational on Thursday thru Saturday, Jan. 12-14.
Preseason Notes
• Utah State returns three all-Mountain West performers from the 2022 indoor season. Junior Gavin Beierle returns after posting back-to-back first-team all-MW seasons in the shot put. Junior Caden Dupee returns after placing third in the conference for the heptathlon in 2022 with 5,192 points, a mark which ranks fourth all-time in school history. And, senior Devin Pancake placed third in the mile at last year's indoor championships. Pancake also owns the school record in the mile with a time of 4:00.36, set last season. Sophomore Marshall Rasmussen returns this season after earning two MW Freshman of the Week honors in 2022 in the pole vault. As a team, the Aggie men placed third at last year's MW Championships and the women finished sixth. For the men, it was the fifth time in the past six seasons it has finished third or better in the conference, while the women notched its best-ever finish. USU welcomes a pair of talented transfers in sophomore Ana Weaver (BYU), who placed eighth in the 5,000 meters at World Athletics U20 Championships in 2022, and junior Peyton Teevens, who placed sixth in the pentathlon at the 2022 Pac-12 Invitational and ranks seventh all-time in the event at Washington State.
