Six-Game Winning Streak Snapped Saturday In Logan

Saturday, February 23

Logan, Utah

2:00 PM MT

Boise State

21-4, 12-2MW

Utah State

12-14, 7-8MW

Boise State

Utah State

Photo by: Boise State Photo Services

2/23/2019 5:19:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Postgame Notes

LOGAN, Utah - Boise State had its six-game winning streak snapped Saturday, falling 81-68 at Utah State. Despite the defeat, Boise State (21-4, 12-2 MW) remained atop the Mountain West standings by a game with four to play.

Braydey Hodgins scored 23 points on 7-for-12 shooting to become just the second Bronco to record five-straight 20-point games, and A'Shanti Coleman recovered from an 0-for-6 start to make seven of her last eight attempts and finish with 14 points, but the Broncos could not overcome 18 turnovers nor get enough stops against the hot-shooting Aggies. Utah State (12-14, 7-8 MW) shot 56.3 percent in the contest, a season-high by a Bronco opponent, getting a 26-point, 12-rebound double-double from Shannon Dufficy and 22 points from Rachel Brewster.

The Broncos, without then-leading scorer and Preseason Mountain West Player of the Year Riley Lupfer (injury) for the fourth-straight game, got 10-straight points from Hodgins to open the fourth quarter, with her layup with 5:29 to play putting Boise State up, 60-59. But the Broncos missed their next six field-goal attempts over the ensuing 4:25, while the Aggies got a pair of transition 3-pointers from Steph Gorman to build a 69-61 lead.

Hodgins got to the line for three and hit them all to bring the Broncos within five at 69-64 with 1:38 to play, but Utah State would seal it at the line, going 11-for-13 over the final 1:27.

After a strong start to the contest, Boise State was plagued by turnovers and scoreless stretches which prevented the Broncos from creating a cushion. Jayde Christopher, who finished with 10 points and seven assists, scored four of Boise State's first six points, with her dish to Marta Hermida forcing a Utah State timeout just 2:55 in. Hodgins made a steal out of the timeout, and Christopher again finished to put the Broncos up 8-2, putting them in position to drop an early hammer.

1Q, 8:05; 4-2 | Jayde Christopher's speed and handles are already causing problems! She has all four Bronco points!#BleedBlue pic.twitter.com/BUAtf9U9RK
— Boise State WBB (@BroncoSportsWBB) February 23, 2019

But Utah State would take advantage of three Bronco turnovers and a 1-for-8 Bronco stretch, hitting seven of its next 11 attempts to build a nine-point lead at 20-11 with 58 seconds left in the opening quarter. The lead would swell to 10 before Rachel Bowers hit two free throws to cut it to eight at 24-16 by the end of the frame.

Boise State scored the first eight points of the second quarter to pull even at 24-24, with Coleman and Hermida each scoring four in that run. The rest of the half became a back-and-forth contest, but the Broncos, trailing by two with 1:12 left in the half, turned the ball over on its final three possessions, missing key opportunities to pull even or take the lead.

Another Bronco run opened the second half, this time a modest 10-4 stretch featuring six points from Coleman, to put Boise State up 45-41 with 6:25 to go in the third. But again, the Boise State offense stalled, as the Broncos went 1-for-5 with two turnovers over the next 3:18. During that stretch, Utah State took a 48-47 lead on Marlene Aniambossou's layup in the paint.