Aggie Tip-Off
Utah State women's basketball (3-4, 0-0 MW) continues its 2023-24 campaign this week with a pair of games in Utah County, as it first takes on BYU (6-2, 0-0 Big 12) in Provo on Tuesday, Dec. 5, at 3 p.m., before facing Utah Valley (3-4, 0-2 WAC) in Orem on Saturday, Dec. 9, at 2 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 Cougars
• BYU is off to a 6-2 start to the 2023-24 campaign, but is on a two-game losing streak with losses to Wyoming and No. 12 Utah. 
• The team returned all five starters as well as seven letterwinners from last year's squad.
• Senior forward Lauren Gustin leads the team in both scoring and rebounding this year with 16.4 points and 14.5 boards per contest. Senior guard Kaylee Smiler averages a team-best 3.9 assists per contest.   
 
Scouting the Wolverines
• Utah Valley is off to a 3-4 start to the year with wins over Weber State, Westminster and Idaho, and losses to BYU, St. Thomas, Seattle and Utah Tech.  
• The team returned two starters and eight letterwinners from last year's squad. 
• Sophomore guard Kaylee Byon is the team's top scorer at 9.6 points per game. Sophomore center Tessa Chaney leads the Wolverines on the glass (5.7 rpg), while junior guard Eleyana Tafisi averages a team-best 3.7 assists per game. 
 
Versus The Beehive State
Both of this week's opponents for the Aggies are in-state rivals. In the program's history, USU has a 43-104 overall record against teams from the Beehive State, including a 5-40 mark against BYU and a 10-6 record versus Utah Valley. 
 
Last Time Out
• Utah State suffered a 70-43 loss to Idaho in its last outing on Nov. 29.
• The Vandals jumped out to a strong start behind efficient early shooting, as the visitors knocked down seven of 12 (58.3 percent) of their first-quarter shots. While the Aggie defense tightened up as the game went along, Idaho continued to knock down 3-pointers to maintain a lead throughout the contest.
• Utah State pushed back as it held Idaho to just 26.7 percent (4-of-15) shooting and out-scored the Vandals 13-10 in the final quarter, but the late rally fell short.
• Leading USU's scoring efforts for the sixth-straight game was junior guard Cheyenne Stubbs, who went for 13 points.
 
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, while every team has at least three wins. UNLV and Colorado State both remain unbeaten, and the Lady Rebels received votes in both top 25 polls this week. 
 
Chey's On Fire
• Guard 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 15.4 points per contest, third-most in the Mountain West. She also leads the team in both assists (2.3) and steals (2.3), while bringing down 3.7 rebounds per game.
• Stubbs has been the Aggies' top scorer in each of the past six games, going for 13 or more points in each. She scored a season-high 23 points versus Warner Pacific.
 
Consistency is Key
• Junior guard Skye Miller has proven to be a versatile player for Utah State, and one of the team's most consistent offensive threat. She has scored in double-figures in six of seven games this season, including a career-high 17 points against Warner Pacific. 
• Miller also averages a team-best 4.7 rebounds per contest along with 1.7 assists, second-most on the team. 
 
De la Guyane française à Logan
Utah State senior forward Allyzee Verdan joined the Aggies all the way from her home country of French Guiana, a small South American country bordering Brazil to the north. She is one of just two French Guiana natives in Division I women's basketball, along with Duquesne's Raymi Couëta. 
 
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 64.6 points per outing this year. 
• On the perimeter, USU ranks fourth in the MW while limiting its opponents to just 30.2 percent (54-of-179) shooting from 3-point range, up from 35.4 percent a year ago. 
• Utah State is also forcing 16.6 turnovers per game, and has caused an average of 20.3 turnovers in its three wins this year. 
 
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. 
 
Lights Out Shooting
In USU's win over Weber State on Nov. 17, the Aggies had one of the most efficient shooting performances in program history. USU shot 58.1 percent (25-of-43) from the floor, the sixth-best shooting percentage ever by a Utah State team, and the best in nearly a decade.  
 
Lights Out Shooting - Pt. II
• Making 41.9 percent (148-of-353) of its shots this season, Utah State ranks as the fourth-most efficient shooting team in the Mountain West. 
• Individually, Cheyenne Stubbs ranks sixth in the league in shooting percentage, connecting on 41-of-83 shots (49.4 percent) from the floor.