LOGAN, Utah – Down five with less than two minutes remaining, Utah State women's basketball seemed headed to a disheartening road loss at Cal State Bakersfield on Tuesday afternoon at Icardo Center.

Then, junior guard Aaliyah Gayles came to the rescue with back-to-back 3-pointers to give the Aggies a 68-65 victory. Gayles finished with 17 points while going 3-of-7 from 3-point territory and adding a team-high two steals.

Senior center Sophie Sene posted a career-high 18 points to lead USU, shooting 4-of-7 from the field and a perfect 10-of-10 from the free throw line, becoming just the eighth different player to go perfect from the charity stripe on at least 10 attempts in program history (14 total instances). Sene also added seven rebounds to lead the team.

Senior guard Karyn Sanford added 10 points on 3-of-6 shooting, including 2-of-3 from behind the arc, plus five rebounds and two assists. Senior guard Marina Asensio finished with nine points and tied for the team lead with senior guard/forward Jamisyn Heaton with three assists apiece. Heaton also added six rebounds.

Utah State shot 43.8 percent (21-of-48) from the field, 36.8 percent (7-of-19) from deep and 86.4 percent (19-of-22) from the FT line. USU's 19 made free throws are the most in a game since recording 20 made FTs against San Jose State in January 2024 while its 86.4 percentage mark is the best since shooting 87.0 percent against Fresno State in January 2023.

The Aggies opened the game quickly, jumping out with an 8-0 as Sene scored six of the first eight points via two layups and a pair of FTs. USU led for the entirety of the opening frame as Gayles warded off a Roadrunner run with a 3-pointer to give USU a 20-15 lead after one. Utah State's lead grew back to eight early in the second quarter following a 3-pointer from Paloma Munoz Herreros, CSUB responded, however, with a 15-4 stretch to take their first lead of the game at 32-29. The Aggies managed to send the game into halftime tied at 33 after Sene and Sanford each converted on a pair of free throws.

USU again rebuilt a lead in the third quarter, first jumping back in front on a 3-point from Sanford. The Aggies then pushed the lead to six with a 7-2 run featuring a pair of Gayles jumpers and another 3-pointer from Sanford. The Roadrunners, however, refused to go quietly, answering back with a 6-0 run to trim the Aggie lead to a single point entering the fourth quarter. 

The Aggies scored on their first four possessions of the final quarter but could only build a five-point lead as the Roadrunners kept within reach. The home side eventually took the lead via a 9-0 run to go up 65-60 with two minutes remaining.

On USU's ensuing possession, Asensio collapsed the defense on a drive before kicking out to Gayles for an above-the-break 3-pointer to halt Cal State Bakersfield's run. At the other end, Heaton forced a miss on a Roadrunner layup with Sanford then snaring the rebound to start a transition break. On a 4-on-2 break, Heaton found Gayles in stride again for an open 3-pointer on the right wing to put the Aggies back in front. Utah State's defense then forced five misses from the Roadrunners in the final minute, with Asensio also hitting a pair of free throws to help secure the 68-65 win. USU shot 9-of-12 from the free throw line in the final frame en route to the win. 

Up Next
The Aggies return home to the Dee Glen Smith to host Omaha on Saturday, Nov. 15, at 11 a.m. (MT). The game will be a doubleheader also featuring Utah State men's basketball taking on UTEP at 2 p.m. (MT).

Tickets
Season tickets are on sale now and can be purchased here or by visiting the USU Ticket Office. Single-game tickets and mini-plans will go on sale at a later date.

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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