Aggie Tip-Off
Utah State women's basketball (3-6, 0-0 MW) wraps up the non-conference portion of its 2023-24 campaign this week with a pair of home games, as it first takes on Northern Colorado (3-4, 0-0 Big Sky) on Saturday, Dec. 16, at 7 p.m., before facing Division II foe Western Colorado (2-7, 0-2 RMAC) on Monday, Dec. 18, at 6 p.m.
How to Follow
Radio coverage for all games will be provided on 107.7 FM, with Ajay Salvesen on the call. Live stats and streaming information will be available on utahstateaggies.com, while updates will also be provided through the team's social media outlets.
Scouting the Bears
• Northern Colorado is off to a 3-4 start to the 2023-24 campaign and has lost three of its past four contests, most recently a 68-60 loss at Air Force.
• The team returned three starters and six letterwinners from last year's squad.
• Senior forward Delaynie Byrne leads the team in both scoring and rebounding this year with 17.6 points and 8.3 boards per contest. Sophomore guard Gabi Fields averages a team-best 2.4 assists per contest.
Scouting the Mountaineers
• Western Colorado is off to a 2-7 start to the year and is currently on a four-game losing streak. Against MW foe Wyoming, the Mountaineers lost 86-72.
• The team returned two starters and three letterwinners from last year's squad.
• Junior forward Rachel Cockman leads the team in both points (17.2) and rebounds (8.9) per contest. Sophomore guard Ivey Schmidt is the team's top facilitator this year at 2.3 assists per contest.
Versus The Centennial State
Both of this week's opponents for the Aggies hail from the state of Colorado. In the program's history, USU has a 43-52 overall record against teams from the Centennial State, including a 7-4 mark against Northern Colorado.
Last Time Out
• Utah State suffered a 68-38 loss in its non-conference road finale last Saturday against Utah Valley.
• After three closely contested quarters, the Wolverines pulled away late with a 22-2 fourth quarter run to take control and secure the win.
• Junior guard Cheyenne Stubbs led Utah State's scoring efforts with 12 points. Graduate guard Taylia Stimpson was the next highest-scoring USU player at six points in 15 minutes of action. Junior guard Ivory Finley was the team's top rebounder and facilitator, finishing with six boards and five assists.
Chey's On Fire
• Cheyenne Stubbs is Utah State's top scorer this year and has emerged as one of the league's top offensive threats.
• The 5-foot-5 junior enters the week averaging a team-best 15.7 points per contest, third-most in the Mountain West. She also leads the team in (2.2), while bringing down 3.6 rebounds and dishing out 2.0 assists per game.
• Stubbs has scored in double-figures in eight of nine games this year. She scored a season-high 23 points versus Warner Pacific, and went for 21 at BYU.
A Consistent Leader
In every game since the season opener at CSUN, Cheyenne Stubbs has led the Aggies in the scoring column. In fact, she is the first USU player to lead the team's scoring efforts in at least eight-straight games since Funda Nakkasoglu did so in 2014-15.
Skye's the Limit
• Junior guard Skye Miller has proven to be a versatile player for Utah State, and one of the team's most consistent offensive threats. She has scored in double-figures in seven of nine games this season, including a career-high 17 points against Warner Pacific.
• Miller also averages team-highs of 5.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists per contest.
Spreading the Wealth
All 15 rostered players for Utah State have made appearances in games this season, while eight different players have appeared in three different starting lineups. Additionally, nine players average at least 10 minutes per game, while 14 of the 15 average at least five.
National Attention
When Utah State opens conference play at UNLV on Dec. 30, it will be in front of a national audience. The game will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network, the first time in program history the Aggies have played on national television. The Lady Rebels are currently undefeated and are ranked No. 23 in the most recent AP Poll.
Mountain Best
The Mountain West Conference is off to one of its best starts across the board in recent history. Entering this week, nine of the 11 teams in the league are .500 or better. UNLV and Colorado State are two of 18 teams that remain unbeaten, while UNLV ranks No. 23 and Colorado State is receiving votes in the AP Poll.
In the Paint
• Utah State has out-scored seven of its nine opponents this year in the paint, including in each of the team's three wins.
• The Aggies scored a season-high 44 points in the paint in the season opener at CSUN.
Defensive Focus
• After ranking last in the Mountain West and allowing opponents 76.8 points per game in 2022-23, the Aggies have tightened up defensively and are holding teams to just 65.8 points per outing this year.
• On the perimeter, USU ranks seventh in the MW while limiting its opponents to just 31.5 percent (70-of-222) shooting from 3-point range, up from 35.4 percent a year ago.
• Utah State is also forcing 16.7 turnovers per game, and has caused an average of 20.3 turnovers in its three wins this year.
