LOGAN, Utah – Senior guard Cheyenne Stubbs and junior guard Jamisyn Heaton each scored 20 points and junior center Sophie Sene hauled in a career-high 16 rebounds, but Utah State women's basketball ultimately fell in a close battle to Air Force, 82-77, on Wednesday morning at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.
 
The Aggies came out on fire, hitting their first five shots from the field as part of an 11-2 run to begin the game. After the Falcons responded and took a 20-17 lead at the end of the first quarter, USU again blitzed the visitors with a 10-0 burst to begin the second frame, including back-to-back 3-pointers from Stubbs. Air Force again climbed back, this time using a 9-0 run to jump back in front. 
 
The two sides combined to hit 10 of their next 12 combined field goal attempts as neither side could manage to create separation at the end of the half. After a pair of free throws and a 3-pointer, AF managed to build a five-point lead in the final seconds before Stubbs again pulled through to beat the buzzer with another 3-pointer and bring USU within 44-42 heading into intermission. 
 
Stubbs and Heaton led the Aggie attack in the first 20 minutes as the pair combined for 27 of Utah State's 42 first-half points. Stubbs poured in 16 points while shooting 4-of-6 from behind the arc while Heaton shot 5-of-6 from the field to score 11 for USU. On the boards, Sene proved integral in helping the Aggies win the rebounding battle in the opening half as she corralled nine total rebounds before halftime.
 
The tight contest continued to start the third quarter before the Falcons used a 6-0 spurt to jump ahead, 53-46 midway through the period. Utah State battled back immediately, going on an 8-0 run while forcing turnovers on four consecutive Falcon possessions, capped off by freshman guard Carlie Latta hitting three free throws after being fouled on a 3-point try. After exchanging runs, neither side was able to string together another heading into the final frame as neither team led by more than three points over the last four minutes of the third quarter.
 
After Heaton hit a 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 66, Air Force laid claim to the game with a 10-0 run. The Aggies clamped down defensively, holding the Falcons without a field goal for the final six minutes of the game but were unable to make up the ground offensively before the final buzzer.
 
Stubbs and Heaton each finished with 20 points to lead the Aggies. Freshman guard/forward Taliyah Logwood added 14 points off the bench and added six rebounds and two steals. Latta finished with 10 points and led USU with a career-high six assists plus a team-high three steals. Sene posted a team-high 16 rebounds, the most rebounds by an Aggie in a single game since Shannon Dufficy recorded 19 rebounds against Southern Utah in 2017.
 
USU shot 40.8 percent (29-of-71) for the game, including 25.0 percent (7-of-27) from behind the 3-point line. The Aggies also outscored the Falcons in the paint, 40-38, and held a 20-11 edge in points off the bench.
 
UP NEXT
The Aggies head back to the road to take on New Mexico on Saturday, Feb. 22, at 2 p.m.
 
Season Tickets
Season tickets for the 2024-25 schedule are available now. Fans can purchase tickets 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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