CORVALLIS, Oregon – Utah State women's basketball fought valiantly, fighting back from multiple double-digit deficits before ultimately running out of gas in a 71-52 loss at Oregon State on Tuesday at Gill Coliseum.

Oregon State, the reigning tournament champions in the WCC, opened the game with a 15-2 run led by 6-foot-8 center Néné Sow. From there, the Aggies began to climb back in the contest with a 13-6 stretch featuring a pair of buckets from senior center Sophie Sene plus a 3-pointer by sophomore guard Elise Livingston. The Beavers once again took the momentum with an 8-0 run to build their largest lead of the first half at 29-15.

Utah State immediately answered back with a 10-0 run over the ensuing three minutes of game time. Junior guard Aaliyah Gayles led the way with a pair of layups and a 3-pointer during the run while Livingston added her second triple of the opening half to trim the deficit to four points at 29-25. OSU responded to re-extend the lead to 38-29 entering halftime. USU shot 50.0 percent (8-of-16) from the floor in the second quarter, including a 3-of-7 mark from behind the arc as the Aggies managed to maintain contact with Oregon State. 

Hot shooting powered the Aggies to begin the second half as Livingston and senior guard/forward Jamisyn Heaton each hit from outside to help bring USU within five points on multiple occasions in the third quarter. The Beavers, however, kept pace and continued throughout the quarter, shooting 60.0 percent in the frame to USU's 35.3 percent, allowing the home side to build a 61-44 lead entering the fourth quarter. This time, the Aggies were unable to build a response as the Beavers maintained control through to the 71-52 final score.

Gayles, Heaton, Livingston and Sene all tied for the team lead with nine points apiece. Gayles added five rebounds and also led USU with two blocks and tied for the team lead with three steals alongside Livingston and senior guard Marina Asensio. Livingston went 3-of-4 from 3-point range in the game and chipped in with three rebounds and an assist. Heaton shot 4-of-6 from the floor and added a steal. Sene also led the Aggies with seven rebounds while Asensio led the team with five assists.

Utah State forced 20 turnovers while committing only 12, leading to a 14-6 edge in points off turnovers. The Aggies also held advantages in fastbreak points, 5-4, and in bench scoring, 25-8.

Up Next
Utah State women's basketball (2-2, 0-0 MW) returns to the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum to host Stanislaus State on Thursday, Nov. 20, at 11 a.m. (MT). The game will be streamed on the Mountain West Network.

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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