Dec. 31, 2009

Box Score

LOGAN, Utah -- Utah Valley got a career high 19 points and nine rebounds from sophomore Erika Newbold but fell 63-45 at Utah State on New Year's Eve at The Spectrum.

Playing for the third straight game without leading scorer Julie Smith, the Wolverines (3-12) never allowed the Aggies (7-5) to pull away until late in the second half.

Blake Reynolds finished with 10 points while Asumi Nakayama and Jenna Johnson both had eight as four players accounted for all of UVU's scoring.

LaCale Pringle-Buchanan led four USU players with 14 points and Lydia Whitehead finished with 10 points, 12 rebounds, four blocks and three steals.

The Wolverines trailed 10-8 at the 15:27 mark of the first half before the Aggies scored nine straight points to take a 19-8 lead. From there both teams went cold. After Reynolds ended the Utah Valley drought with a layup at the 11:17 mark, neither team scored for over four minutes.

Trailing 23-12 with 4:39 left in the half, the Wolverines used a quick 6-0 spurt to get within five. A pair of late three's by USU's Devyn Christensen allowed the Aggies to take a 29-23 lead into the break.

Utah State scored the first six points of the second half to take 12-point advantage, 35-23. After a bucket and free-throw from Newbold to get the Wolverines back within nine, the Aggies scored the next four and led by double figures the rest of the way.

Utah Valley finished at 33.3 percent (15-for-45) from the field while Utah State shot 43.1 percent (22-for-51). The Aggies also had a 37-29 edge on the glass and had 11 offensive rebounds, but the Wolverine defense limited USU to just four second-chance points.

The all-time series with the two teams is now even at three wins apiece as the Aggies also ended a three-game losing streak to Utah Valley.

The Wolverines have now lost seven straight overall and sit at 1-4 against in-state schools this year. Up next, they'll play their final six games against schools from the Beehive State next Wednesday at Utah at 7 p.m.