LAS VEGAS – Utah State women's basketball saw their season end with a 75-58 loss to sixth-seeded Grand Canyon in the opening round of the Mountain West Tournament at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Senior guard/forward Jamisyn Heaton led the Aggies with 17 points on 6-of-14 shooting, also adding three rebounds. Sophomore guard Elise Livingston added 16 points while going 4-of-8 from 3-point range, also leading the team with three steals. Junior guard Aaliyah Gayles finished with nine points plus three rebounds and two steals. Senior guard Karyn Sanford chipped in with six points, and two steals. Gayles and Sanford each also tied for the team lead with four assists apiece. Sophomore forward Macie Brown finished near a double-double with eight points and eight rebounds, both tying career-highs.

The Aggies began the game strong, using a 13-2 run in the opening quarter to take a 17-8 lead. Gayles and Heaton powered the run as each hit a layup plus the foul, both then converting on the and-one opportunity; Livingston added a 3-pointer while Sanford and freshman guard Aitana Rosello Lopez both added buckets to help USU to the quick start. Grand Canyon cut lead to four to end the first quarter with a 7-2 burst but the Aggies reclaimed momentum heading to the second.

A pair of Gayles free throws preceded back-to-back layups by Brown and Sanford as the Aggies built a double-digit lead at 25-15. Livingston then personally held off the Lopes, hitting three field goals, including a pair of 3-pointers, in less than three minutes to cap off a 14-5 Aggie run and give Utah State their largest lead of the contest at 33-20. As they did to end the first quarter, however, the Lopes again closed the second quarter on a run, this time scoring 11 unanswered to trim USU's lead down to two points at 33-31 entering halftime.

Utah State continued to fight coming out of the locker rooms as Heaton and Livingston each hit 3-pointers in the opening minutes of the second half to help USU retain a slim lead. GCU responded with a 13-2 stretch to wrestle momentum away from the Aggies.

USU battled back from the free throw line as successful trips from Brown and twice by Gayles helped Utah State claw back within three points late in the third quarter. The Lopes again responded, however, this time using a 17-4 burst to firmly grab control and and ultimately clinch a spot in the quarterfinal round.

The Aggies finished the game going 14-of-14 from the free throw line, only the 10th time in program history USU has gone perfect from the charity stripe in a game with at least 10 attempts. Utah State's 14 attempts is also tied for the third-most FTAs in those games.

Elsewhere in the contest, USU shot 35.2 percent (19-of-54) from the field and 35.3 percent (6-of-17) from 3-point range while the Lopes recorded marks of 46.7 percent (28-of-60) overall, 28.6 percent (4-of-14) from behind the arc and 71.4 percent (15-of-21) from the FT line. 

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.
 
- USU -