BOISE, Idaho – Utah State women's basketball kept pace with Boise State for much of the contest before a 14-0 Bronco run in the third quarter ultimately spelled doom in a 75-59 road loss on Saturday afternoon at ExtraMile Arena.

The Broncos opened up an 8-2 lead and led by as many as seven in the opening quarter before the Aggies immediately battled back, using a 6-0 run to close the frame with a layup from senior guard/forward Jamisyn Heaton closing the gap to 13-12 entering the second quarter. USU continued the momentum as senior guard Karyn Sanford gave the Aggies the lead with a driving layup less than a minute into the quarter. 

Junior guard Aaliyah Gayles then kickstarted a 10-2 run, converting on a pair of free throws and a 3-pointer before sophomore guard Elise Livingston closed the run with a 3-pointer of her own to give the Aggies a six-point advantage. BSU responded with an 8-1 to close out the half and take a 28-27 lead heading into halftime.

The Aggies emerged from the locker room ready to challenge for the game as a Gayles jumper and Livingston 3-pointer put USU ahead 32-28 one minute into the second half. The two sides traded blows over the next several minutes as senior forward Rachel Wilson scored three buckets during the stretch to preserve a slim lead for the Aggies. Following a pair of FTs by Sanford, USU led by 40-37 before Boise State broke out with a 14-0 run to build a double-digit lead late in the quarter.

Utah State battled valiantly into the fourth quarter, using a 9-2 lead to cut the deficit to single digits following Livingston's third 3-pointer of the game. Each time USU cut the lead to nine points, however, the Broncos answered back to prevent an Aggie comeback in the closing minutes.

Gayles led the Aggies with 16 points while adding three rebounds, two assists and two steals. Livingston ended with 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including 3-of-5 from behind the arc, plus a team-high four rebounds. Wilson added 12 points on a perfect 5-of-5 from the field plus three rebounds, an assist, block and steal. Sanford finished with eight points and a team-best four assists while Heaton led the Aggies with three steals.

Utah State shot 37.5 percent (21-of-56) from the field, 22.2 percent (4-of-18) from 3-point range and 92.9 percent (13-of-14) from the FT line. Boise State ended with marks of 48.3 percent (28-of-58) from the floor and 47.8 percent (11-of-23) from behind the arc. The Aggies held a 32-30 advantage in points in the paint, 13-10 in fastbreak points and won the turnover battle, forcing 18 Bronco turnovers while surrendering possession only 15 times themselves.

Up Next
Utah State (6-22, 2-17) returns to the Spectrum one final time to celebrate Senior Night against Nevada on Tuesday, March 3, at 6 p.m. (MT).

Tickets
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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