LOGAN, Utah – After seeing a double-digit lead disappear in the third quarter, Utah State women's basketball simply built another one.

The Aggies answered with a 10-0 run to reclaim control, ultimately leading by as many as 16 in the fourth quarter en route to a 65-53 win over Air Force on Wednesday night at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. With the win, Utah State opens Mountain West play at 1-0 for the first time since 2018-19.

Junior guard Aaliyah Gayles led the charge with 19 points, 10 rebounds and four assists, becoming the first Aggie to hit those marks since Shannon Dufficy in 2019 and recording her first career double-double. Gayles finished 4-of-8 from the field, connecting on both of her 3-point attempts, and going 9-of-10 from the free throw line. 

Senior center Sophie Sene was the lone other Aggie in double figures, scoring 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting and adding six rebounds, one assist and one block. Freshman guard Elise Livingston added nine points plus four rebounds while senior guard Marina Asensio added eight points, five rebounds and tied for the team lead alongside Gayles with four assists.

The Aggies initially built distance from the Falcons in the first quarter as a Livingston 3 initiated an 11-3 run for USU to turn a tie game into an 18-10 lead for the home side. Sene, Gayles and senior forward Rachel Wilson also added field goals before Livingston bookended the run with a layup.

USU maintained its lead for the entirety of the second quarter with the lead ballooning to double digits following a layup by senior guard/forward Jamisyn Heaton. Gayles further extended USU's lead to 12, beating the buzzer with a deep 3-pointer to give the Aggies a 33-21 advantage heading into halftime.

In the second half, the Falcons clawed back into the contest with a 14-3 run stretching seven minutes, ultimately tying the game at 40 apiece with less than a minute remaining in the third quarter. Immediately following the tie, however, Asensio hit a 3-pointer to snap the cold stretch and ignite a 10-0 burst spanning into the fourth quarter. Livingston also added a 3-pointer while Gayles and senior guard Karyn Sanford each converted on FT trips to re-establish a double-digit lead. 

USU maintained pressure through the remainder of the contest, pushing the decisive stretch to a 24-8 Aggie run following a layup and another 3-pointer by Asensio. Gayles also proved key down the stretch, scoring eight points and collecting five rebounds in the final frame, helping Utah State to avoid any comeback attempt and close out the win in the final minutes.

Utah State shot 44.7 percent (21-of-47) from the field while holding Air Force to only 28.6 percent (20-of-70). The Aggies also shot 42.1 percent (8-of-19) on 3-point attempts while holding the Falcons to only 14.8 percent (4-of-27) from outside. Utah State also held AF's Milahnie Perry, who entered the contest as the leading scorer in the MW, to only three points on 1-of-15 shooting. USU also held advantages in rebounding, 41-35, and recorded four blocks to AF's zero.

The Aggies snapped a nine-game skid against Air Force, recording their first win over the Falcons since 2021.

Up Next
The Aggies (5-5, 1-0 MW) continue MW play this weekend, heading to the road to face Colorado State on Saturday, Dec. 20, at 1 p.m. (MT). 

Tickets
Season tickets, mini-plans and single-game tickets are on sale now and can be purchased here or by visiting the USU Ticket Office.

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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