Box Score DAYTONA BEACH, Florida – Utah State women's basketball erased another large deficit but were unable to complete the comeback as the Aggies fell to Stetson, 84-76, on Saturday morning at the Ocean Center as part of the Daytona Beach Classic.
 
Utah State started off strong in the first quarter, shooting 8-of-20 (40.0 percent) in the opening frame, including a 3-of-9 (33.3 percent) mark from 3-point territory. The Aggies also outrebounded the Hatters, 12-7, in the first quarter. Junior guard Mia Tarver hit a pair of 3-pointers and freshman guard Carlie Latta hit one from outside to help USU maintain pace with the Hatters. Junior forward/center Sophie Sene then hit a layup at the buzzer, part of six first-quarter points, to give the Aggies a 19-17 lead at the end of one. 
 
In the second quarter, Stetson opened the frame with a 26-4 run to put the Aggies in a 20-point hole. The Hatters went 7-of-11 on 3-pointers during the second quarter en route to taking a 50-33 lead into halftime.
 
After facing a 3-point barrage in the second quarter, the Aggies answered back with a shooting display of their own in the third, shooting 5-of-10 from behind the arc to open the second half. The Aggies cut the deficit to single digits with a 12-0 run midway through the third quarter. Layups from Sene, junior guard Jamisyn Heaton, and freshman guard Taliyah Logwood were interspersed with 3s from Heaton and freshman guard Elise Livingston to bring USU back into the game. Utah State continued to press the issue as a 3-pointer from Tarver preceded a pair of triples from freshman guard Denae Skelton to bring the Aggies back within four to end the third quarter.
 
Latta rejoined the 3-point party to begin the fourth quarter, trimming the deficit to a single point with a shot from the corner with less than eight minutes remaining. Stetson responded with a 6-1 burst to restore a six-point lead before Tarver and Heaton kept USU connected in the contest. Tarver hit her fourth 3-pointer of the game, this one from the right wing, and Heaton grabbed an offensive board and converted the subsequent putback and an and-one opportunity to make it 70-68. The Hatters responded with a 10-2 run to restore their double-digit lead and the Aggies were unable to clear the deficit in the final two minutes as Stetson iced the game at the FT line.
 
The Aggies connected on 12 3-pointers in the game, tying for the ninth-most 3-pointers in a single game in program history. USU shot 12-of-38 (31.6 percent) from 3-point range for the full game and shot 28-of-76 (36.8 percent) overall. Utah State also outrebounded Stetson, 42-37, on the night and held a 25-11 edge in second-chance points. 
 
Heaton led the Aggies in scoring for the second game in a row, scoring 16 points and finishing two rebounds of her second-straight double-double with eight rebounds. Heaton also added a team-best five assists and two steals. Tarver finished with 13 points while going 4-of-11 from behind the arc and adding five rebounds and two steals. Logwood added 11 points and eight rebounds plus a team-high five steals. Sene finished with 10 points plus four rebounds. Latta narrowly missed scoring in double figures, finishing with nine points while shooting 3-of-7 from 3-point territory and adding three steals.
 
UP NEXT
The Aggies return to the Beehive State to take on Utah on Wednesday, Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City.
 
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.
 
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