Utah State University’s women’s basketball team concluded its season with a 75-58 defeat to Grand Canyon University in the opening round of the Mountain West Tournament at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
Senior Jamisyn Heaton led Utah State with 17 points, shooting 6-of-14 from the field and collecting three rebounds. Sophomore Elise Livingston contributed 16 points, including four three-pointers, and recorded three steals. Junior Aaliyah Gayles added nine points, three rebounds, two steals, and tied for a team-high four assists alongside senior Karyn Sanford, who also had six points and two steals. Sophomore Macie Brown was close to a double-double with eight points and eight rebounds.
The Aggies started strong with a 13-2 run in the first quarter to take an early lead of 17-8. Key plays included layups by Gayles and Heaton—both converting on additional free throws—while Livingston made a three-pointer. Sanford and freshman Aitana Rosello Lopez also scored during this stretch. Grand Canyon responded late in the quarter but Utah State maintained momentum into the second period.
In the second quarter, free throws from Gayles followed by layups from Brown and Sanford extended Utah State’s lead to double digits at 25-15. Livingston continued scoring, helping build a 33-20 advantage before Grand Canyon closed out the half with an 11-point run to cut Utah State’s lead to just two at halftime.
After halftime, Heaton and Livingston each hit three-pointers as Utah State tried to hold onto its narrow lead. However, Grand Canyon countered with a decisive 13-2 run that shifted momentum in their favor.
Utah State attempted to rally through successful free throw attempts by Brown and Gayles but Grand Canyon answered again with a significant scoring burst that secured their win and advancement in the tournament.
Despite the loss, Utah State achieved a perfect record from the free throw line (14-of-14), marking only the tenth time in program history they have been flawless from the stripe in games with at least ten attempts. The team’s total of fourteen attempts ties for third-most among those performances.
Overall shooting statistics saw Utah State finish at 35.2 percent from the field (19-of-54) and 35.3 percent from beyond the arc (6-of-17). Grand Canyon shot 46.7 percent overall (28-of-60), including four made threes on fourteen attempts (28.6 percent), while hitting fifteen of twenty-one free throws (71.4 percent).
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