LOGAN, Utah – Utah State women's basketball concludes its season-opening homestand against Cal State Bakersfield on Thursday, Nov. 14, at 11 a.m. The Aggies then head to the road for the first time to take on Northern Colorado on Sunday, Nov. 17 at 2 p.m. The Aggies will also remain in the Centennial State to face Colorado on Tuesday, Nov. 19, at 7 p.m.
 
HOW TO FOLLOW
Thursday's game versus Cal State Bakersfield will be broadcast on the Mountain West Network. Radio coverage for all games will be provided on 107.7 FM, with Ajay Salvesen on the call. Links to live stats for all games will be available on utahstateaggies.com, while updates will also be provided through the team's social media outlets.
 
AGGIES VS EVERYONE
The Aggies and Roadrunners will meet for the first time on Thursday. Utah State is 27-34 all-time against current Big West opponents.
 
USU will face Northern Colorado for the 18th time in program history, with the Aggies holding an 11-6 edge in the all-time series. The two sides met 11 times as members of the Intermountain Athletic Conference in the 1970s. The Bears have won five of the past six matchups since, including a 75-57 win last season.
 
SCOUTING THE ROADRUNNERS
Head coach Ari Wideman is in her first season with Cal State Bakersfield. The Roadrunners have begun the 2024-25 season at 0-2 following losses to Grand Canyon (93-52) and Colgate (71-42). Guard Taylor Caldwell leads the team with 12.0 points per game and also is tied for the team lead with 5.0 rebounds per contest alongside guard/forward Marley Langi. Forward Ary Dizon leads the team with 3.0 assists per game. The Roadrunners are averaging 47.0 points per game and have allowed 82.0 points per game so far this season. CSUB is shooting 35.9 percent from the field and 18.5 percent from 3-point territory while allowing opponents to shoot 43.4 percent from the floor and 28.0 percent on 3-point attempts. They have averaged 32.0 rebounds per game with an average margin of -4.5. The Roadrunners have turned the ball over 23.0 times per game and have forced 12.5 turnovers per game from their opponents.
 
SCOUTING THE BEARS
The Bears are currently 1-2 in their fourth season under head coach Kristen Mattio, defeating Concordia (Neb.) (66-64) before falling to Colorado (81-66) and Air Force (73-66) in their last two games. Guard London Gamble leads Northern Colorado with 13.0 points per game while forward Aniah Hall adds 12.0 points per contest. Hall also leads the team with 7.3 rebounds per game. Guard Gabi Fields leads the Bears with 4.0 assists per game and forward Ella Van Weelden leads the team with a 37.5 percent shooting percentage from 3-point territory. The Bears are averaging 66.0 points while allowing 72.7 points per game this season. The team is shooting 43.7 percent from the field and 23.0 percent from behind the arc, while opponents have shot 45.4 percent overall and 27.7 percent on 3-point attempts. Northern Colorado has garnered 31.7 rebounds per game with a margin of -4.0 per contest. The Bears have turned it over 18.7 times and have forced 16.0 turnovers per game.
 
ICYMI
The Aggies fell in a pair of close losses last week to Kansas City (80-77) and CSUN (69-65). Senior guard Cheyenne Stubbs led USU in both games with 28 and 16 points, respectively, and notched her third career double-double with 11 rebounds against CSUN. Against the Roos, both juniors Mia Tarver and Jamisyn Heaton also scored in double figures, with Tarver scoring 13 and Heaton adding 10. Heaton also reach double digits against the Matadors, scoring 14 points, while freshman Taliyah Logwood added 10 points in her collegiate debut. Tarver added seven steals against CSUN, tying for 14th all-time for a single game at USU. 
 
STOLEN GOODS
Mia Tarver came away with a career-high seven steals against CSUN, a feat only accomplished 28 times previously by a total of 19 players in school history. Only four players have recorded at least seven steals in on game since the program's reinstatement in 2003 (Elise Nelson twice, Alice Coddington twice, Jenna Johnson, Danyelle Snelgro). Tarver's seven steals are tied for the 14th-most all-time for a single game at Utah State.
 
I AM SPEED
The Aggies currently rank as the fastest team in the Mountain West and the 13th-fastest in the nation, averaging 82.5 possessions per 40 minutes. New Mexico ranks second in the MW with 79.8 possessions per 40 minutes, while Texas currently leads the nation with 94.5 possessions per 40 minutes. 
 
LET IT FLY
Utah State is currently tied for second in the nation with 38.5 attempts from 3-point range per game this season. The Aggies are tied alongside Lipscomb while Stephen F. Austin ranks first in the country with 39.0 attempts per game from behind the arc. The Aggies also rank in a tie for 26th nationally with 10.5 made 3-pointers per game. USU's 3-point rate (the number of 3-point attempts relative to a team's total field goal attempts) of 47.8 percent also ranks first in the MW and ninth nationally. Colorado State ranks second in the MW with 45.7 percent and Stephen F. Austin ranks first nationally with a 3-point rate of 60 percent.
 
AROUND THE (NATION) IN (34) DAYS
Following Utah State's game against Cal State Bakersfield in the Spectrum on Nov. 14, the Aggies will hit the road for their next eight games. In total, USU will have 34 days before their next home game against UC Riverside on Dec. 18. This gap is the sixth-longest in the nation this season, ranking behind Columbia (47 days), UC Irvine (46), Texas A&M-Commerce (45), Stephen F. Austin (40) and William & Mary (35). By total road and neutral games played between home games, Utah State's eight games is tied for the longest streak in the nation alongside Stephen F. Austin. 
 
INTO THE HISTORY BOOKS
Last season, Stubbs put up one of the top-scoring seasons in program history.  Stubbs finished the season with 482 points, passing Devyn Christensen (2011-12) and Ashlee Brown (2011-12) to move into eighth all-time at USU. 
 
                Rk          Player                                 Year                     Points
                6.            Funda Nakkasoglu     2014-15                              504
                7.            April Hatch                      1983-84                             487
                8.            Cheyenne Stubbs                     2023-24                             482
                9.            Ashlee Brown                 2011-12                              468
                10.         Devyn Christensen     2011-12                              467
 
Stubbs' average of 16.1 points per game narrowly missed the all-time top-10 at USU. However, Stubbs did break into the top-10 in several other categories for a single season, including 3-pointers made (fifth, 59) and attempted (fourth, 174). Stubbs led the Aggies in scoring in 22 games on the year, the most times as USU's leading scorer in a single season since Funda Nakkasoglu had 25 team-leading outings in 2015-16. 
 
STARTER JACKETS
Utah State returns two full-time starters from last year in senior guards Cheyenne Stubbs and Ivory Finley. The Aggies also return a further two players with starting experience. Senior guard/forward Samiana Suguturaga started the final 13 games of the 2023-24 season, while senior forward Allyzee Verdan made nine total starts on the year, including each of the last seven games.
 
EN FUEGO
Stubbs recorded a pair of 30-point games in 2023-24, becoming just the 19th player in program history to ever top the 30-point plateau, and only the 12th to do so in multiple games. Stubbs posted a career-high 32 points in Utah State's win at Nevada on Jan. 31, going 10-of-24 shooting (.417) from the floor, 2-of-8 shooting (.250) from 3-point range and 10-of-14 shooting (.714) from the charity stripe. Against UNLV, Stubbs also finished with 30 points on 7-15 shooting (.467), including a 5-9 performance from deep (.556), and went (11-14) from the free throw line. She is just the 10th Aggie with multiple 30-point games in the same season. In total, Utah State has seen 48 games in which an Aggie has hit 30 points or more. Stubbs' 32 points against Nevada are tied for the 20th-most in a game in Aggie history. 
 
BLOCK PARTY
Utah State freshman forward Gracie Johnson is one of just four players in program history to have three games with five or more blocks in a season. Additionally, she became just the second freshman to ever do so, joining all-time program block leader Deja Mason. With eight blocks against Boise State, Johnson tied the all-time program record for blocks in a single game. Johnson finished the season with 36 blocks and now needs only 29 more to break into the top-10 all-time at Utah State.
 
TOP SCORERS
Utah State returns its top scorer from 25 of 31 games last season, including the team's exhibition. Stubbs led the Aggies with 22 games as the leading scorer last season, while each of senior forrward Allyzee Verdan, senior guard/forward Samiana Suguturaga and senior guard Ivory Finley each recorded one game as USU's leading scorer.
 
WELL-TRAVELED
Utah State has players from eight different states on its roster, plus three international players in senior forward Allyzee Verdan (French Guiana), junior forward/center Sophie Sene (France) and freshman guard Denae Skelton (Canada). This is the most international players on USU's roster since fielding four such players in 2019-20. Utah (four) and Idaho (three) are the only states from which multiple Aggies hail. This is the first time Utah has been the most populous state on USU's roster since the 2021-22 season.
 
TRUE BLUE AGGIES
This year's team has a pair of players with family ties to Utah State. Senior guard/forward Samiana Suguturaga is the daughter of former Aggie football player Jay Suguturaga, who played tight end at USU from 2000-01. Additionally, sophomore forward Gracie Johnson's older brother, Isaac, is currently a junior on the Utah State men's basketball team. Johnson's father, Darren, played for the USU men's team in 1990-91, while her grandfather, Ronald, also played at Utah State. 
 
NEW TEAM, WHO DIS?
The Aggies welcome 10 newcomers to the 2024-25 squad. Utah State brings in three transfers in juniors Sophie Sene (Rhode Island), Mia Tarver (Salt Lake CC) and Jamisyn Heaton (College of Southern Idaho). USU brings in a total of seven freshmen, including Ava Smith (Camas, Washington), Denae Skelton (West Kelowna, B.C., Canada), Riley Ward (Preston, Idaho), Carlie Latta (Paul, Idaho), Karlie Banks (Laclede, Idaho), Elise Livingston (Millville, Utah) and Taliyah Logwood (Richmond, California).
 
KEEP AN EYE ON THIS
Senior guard Cheyenne Stubbs needs only 18 more appearances to qualify for Utah State's all-time career socring average list (50 games minimum). Stubbs' current scoring average of 16.4 points per game in an Aggie uniform would rank fourth all-time in program history.
 
EXHIBIT A
In the team's first public showing of the 2024-25 campaign, Utah State defeated Westminster, 94-70, in an exhibition on Oct. 25. Five players reach double figures in scoring, led by senior guard Cheyenne Stubbs with 21 points. Junior guard Mia Tarver and freshman guard Denae Skelton each finished with 14 points, while freshman Elise Livingston ended with 13 points. Junior guard Jamisyn Heaton chipped in with 12 points as the final Aggie in double figures. Heaton also led the Aggies with seven rebounds, while sophomore Gracie Johnson anchored the defense, finishing with five blocks plus two steals. Utah State shot 44 attempts from 3-point territory, which would have been a program record. The Aggies also forced 34 Griffin turnovers, which would also have been a program record according to available information.
 
KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY
Several players have family ties to athletes who have played at the collegiate level, with several also playing professionally. Freshman guard/foward Taliyah Logwood has a pair of cousins in Brian Johnson and Raelon Singleton who each played football at Utah, with Brian Johnson also now serving as an assistant head coach and passing game coordinator for the Washington Commanders of the NFL. Freshman guard Elise Livingston's sister, Erin, played volleyball for four years at BYU and signed with the Las Vegas Thrill of the Pro Volleyball Federation.  Freshman guard Ava Smith's father, Matthew, played football and won an NAIA Division II national title at Central Washington University. Freshman guard Denae Skelton's brother, Kaeden, played basketball for the University of British Columbia in Okanagan. Freshman guard Carlie Latta's sister, Aubrie Vale, played basketball at Westminster in 2019. Both senior guard/forward Samiana Suguturaga and sophomore forward Gracie Johnson have aforementioned ties to Utah State, while Johnson also has an older brother, Spencer, who played basketball at BYU.
 
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.
 
Season Tickets
Season tickets for the 2024-25 schedule are available now. Fans can make a deposit to save their seat here or by calling the USU Ticket Office at (435) 797-0305.
 
Fans can follow USU women's basketball on Twitter, @USUWBasketball, on Instagram, @USUWBasketball, as well as on Facebook, at /USUWBB. Aggie fans can also follow Utah State Athletics on Twitter, @USUAthletics, on Instagram, @USUAthletics and on Facebook at /USUAthletics.
 
- USU -