Weber State University Athletics
Weber State University
at Utah State
Wildcats drop tough road game at Utah State
11/17/2011 6:05:00 AM | Women's Basketball
LOGAN, Utah - It was never going to be an easy task, but the Wildcats are just getting started.
For the Weber State University women's basketball team, getting accustomed to a completely new way of doing things wasn't going to come without having to endure a few lessons along the way.
Against in-state rival Utah State on Wednesday night, the Wildcats had to learn one of those lessons as the Aggies defeated Weber State 73-63 at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.
"I'm proud of our team effort; the players kept playing hard even after we got behind in the first half," Weber State coach Bethann Ord said. "We made some adjustments in the second half, and the girls really responded. I liked the fight our players displayed. We didn't stop; we continued playing tough defense, but couldn't quite get over the hump to bring home the win."
The Wildcats made several strong strides from their season-opener against Boise State over the weekend, but the ultimate difference in the game came down the Weber State's struggle to hold on to the ball at critical times.
"We are continuing to get better. We definitely took some steps forward tonight." Ord said. "We are getting better every day; we just need to keep working hard in practice and in games."
Sophomore guard Justine Johnson led the Wildcats with 16 points, hitting 6-of-7 shots from the field and draining three 3-pointers. Senior guard Caela Mohre added 15 points, five rebounds, five steals and four assists in a solid all-around game, while junior guard Megan Patterson had nine points and a career-high five steals. Sophomore Laura Palmere added eight points, knocking down 6-of-6 free throws.
Ashlee Brown led Utah State (2-1) with 21 points and nine rebounds.
After falling behind early, the Wildcats rallied to cut the deficit to 30-25 late in the first half on a jumper by sophomore Jordan Pfau.
The Aggies shot 58.6 percent from the field in the first half and outscored the Wildcats 22-6 in the paint, but Weber State shored up both aspects during the second half as it held Utah State to just 33.3 percent shooting in the second half and won the points in the paint battle.
Weber State (0-2) will make its home debut on Saturday against in-state rival BYU (1-2). Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at the Dee Events Center.
