Utah State 67, Utah 58
Three Aggies logged career highs to lead Utah State to a monumental 68-57 win over Utah Friday night in both teams' season-opener at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.
Any Friday the 13th superstitions were run out of the building early, as Utah State jumped out to an 8-0 lead and led 36-18 part way through the first half as the Aggies went on to earn their second-ever win over Utah. It was also USU's first win over Utah since 1975. Friday was only the second meeting between the two teams since USU reinstated women's basketball prior to the 2003-04 season, and it was Utah's first visit to the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum since 1986-87. Utah still holds a 27-2 all-time advantage.
Amber White led all scorers with a career-high 25 points, nearly matching her previous career high of 10 points in the first four and a half minutes by netting nine. Alice Coddington also tallied a new career-high with 18 points, including 11 in the first half, while the Stacey Howar notched a career-best seven points.
Lydia Whitehead topped USU with nine rebounds, but the Utes held a 36-28 advantage on the boards.
USU scorched the nets to the tune of 62 percent (18-of-29) shooting in the first half and ended at 54 percent (26-of-48) from the field. The Aggies hit 7-of-16 (44 percent) from three-point range and 57 percent (8-of-14) at the free throw line.
Utah shot 38 percent (21-of-55) from the field, including 4-of-13 (31 percent) three-point shooting. The Utes were 12-of-16 (75 percent) at the free throw line. Both teams had 17 turnovers apiece, with Utah logging 10 steals compared to Utah State's five swipes. Goddard and Coddington dished out three assists each, part of the Aggies' 13 total, while Utah had 11.
Fresno State 84, UC Santa Barbara 76
The Bulldogs handed UC Santa Barbara just its 39th home loss at the
Thunderdome as they earned a hard fought 84-76 victory Friday night.
It is the second straight year Fresno State has won its season opener.
Jaleesa Ross led the Bulldogs with a career-high 25 points on 9-of-13
shooting from the field and 4-of-6 from three-point range. She had
six rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block in the game.
Joh-Teena Filipe had 12 points and five rebounds and Taja Edwards tied
her career high of 12 points and had seven rebounds off the bench in 17
minutes of play.
Fresno State shot 41 percent from the field and hit 10 three-pointers
on 25 attempts. The Dogs and Gauchos both had 35 rebounds with Marnique
Arnold leading the way for Fresno State with nine.
UCSB shot 56 percent from the floor but committed 21 turnovers.
New Mexico State 79, Cal State Northridge 72
New Mexico State opened the 2009-10 season with a 79-72 win at Cal State Northridge Friday.
Junior guard Danisha Corbett led the Aggies with a team-high 21 points on a 5-for-10 performance from the three-point line. She was also strong at the free throw line, going 6-for-6 as the Aggies shot 76 percent. Madison Spence supplied 15 points with four assists and four steals, while Kaitlyn Soto added 11 points and three assists off the bench.
After the Aggies posted a 38-25 halftime lead, NM State extended the advantage to 17 points, 58-41, on a lay-up from senior guard Crystal Boyd at the 9:23 mark. With 6:34 remaining, Cal State Northridge cut the NM State lead to seven, 59-52, but the Aggies withstood the charge and made 9-of-10 free throws in the final minute.
Boise State 76, Western Oregon 40
Boise State junior Janie Bos posted a double-double of 10 points and 11 rebounds in a 76-40 win over Western Oregon Friday night at Taco Bell Arena.
Boise State shot 40 percent from the field, 22 percent from beyond the arc and 80 percent from the charity stripe. Western Oregon was held to 26 percent from the floor, 19 percent from downtown and 66 percent from the free throw line.
The Broncos were led by Tasha Harris and freshman Julia Marshall with 11 points each, while Bos and Melissa Rima contributed 10 points apiece. Bos was the game's top rebounder, while Rima and Kinzi Poteet added eight rebounds as well. Harris led the game in assists with three, while also recording four steals to lead both teams.
Louisiana Tech 88, Centenary 41
Adrienne Johnson scored 29 points and Brietta Thomas added a career-high 22 points to lead Louisiana Tech to an 88-41 win over Centenary Friday night before 1,015 fans at the Thomas Assembly Center.
Tech (1-0) dressed only eight players for the game due to injuries as the Lady Techsters improved to 31-5 all-time in home openers, including 24-4 at the Thomas Assembly Center.
Johnson hit 14-of-19 field goals to earn top scoring honors on the night while adding four rebounds, four steals, two blocks and two assists. Thomas, making the start in place of the injured Tiawana Pringle, connected on 9-of-13 field goals, including 4-of-6 three-pointers, as she edged her previous career-high of 19 points scored last year in a win over Arizona.
Sophomore Kiara Young came off the bench to record her first career double-double with 10 points and a game-high 14 rebounds while Whitney Jones added 14 points.
For the game, Tech shot 56 percent (37-of-66) while holding the Ladies to only 26 percent (15-of-58). Tech also recorded 23 assists while only committing 11 turnovers.
Nevada 63, Cal State Monterey Bay 39
Marissa Hammond tied her career-high with 16 points and led four Nevada
players in double figures as Nevada beat Cal State Monterey Bay 63-39
Friday night at Lawlor Events Center.
Hammond led Nevada with 16 points while Johnna Ward added 13, Nicole
Williams scored a career-high 12 and Shavon Moore scored 10.
Nevada shot 39 percent (19-of-49) from the field on the game, while the
Otters shot 31 percent (15-of-48). Kayla Williams led Nevada with
seven boards.
Cal State Fullerton 79, San Jose State 77
After trailing by 11 points at halftime, San Jose State used a 46-point
second half to take a one-point lead with 42 seconds remaining.
However, a three-pointer by Cal State Fullerton's Lauren Chow gave the
Titans a 79-77 win over the Spartans Friday night in the team's opening
game of the 2009-10 season.
Three Spartans scored in double figures.Chasity Shavers scored a
career-high 21 points on 9-of-13 from the field. Newcomer Britney
Bradley scored 13 points, including 7-of-8 from the free throw line,
and led the Spartans in rebounding with seven. Samantha Marez, also
making her Spartan debut, added 16 points on 8-of-12 from the field,
and five rebounds.
Brown dished out three assists and scored nine points, while Sumler
added eight points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals. Shaunna
Ridge also had six points, five rebounds, two assists and a blocked
shot.