Feb. 12, 2008

LOGAN, Utah -

Complete Release in PDF Format

GAME #23 - Utah State (6-16, 2-8 WAC) at San Jose State (2-20, 1-8 WAC)
Thurs., Feb. 14, 8 p.m. (MT) • San Jose, Calif. • The SJSU Event Center (5,000)
Broadcast: 1390 AM • www.UtahStateAggies.com

QUICKLY - Utah State (6-16, 2-8 WAC) ends its four-game road trip on Thursday, Feb. 14 at San Jose State (2-20, 1-8 WAC) at 8 p.m. (MT) at The SJSU Event Center (5,000).

USU senior guard Taylor Richards scored her 1,000th career point on Jan. 12 at New Mexico State and became the fifth player in USU history to reach the 1,000 point milestone. She currently holds the No. 4 spot on USU's Career Points list with 1,075 points. She needs six points to tie Margaret Johns (1980-83, 1,081 points) at No. 3.

Richards also set a new USU career three-pointers record on Jan. 26, surpassing the previous record of 83 held by former teammate Brittany Hagen (2003-07). Richards has currently made 87 career three-pointers and now holds two records for USU, including the career assists record with 354 helpers.

Aggie junior guard Danyelle Snelgro surpassed 100 career steals on Jan. 5 against San Jose State. She is now fourth on USU's career steals list with 128 and needs 17 steals to tie Carol Garrison (1980-81, 145), for third-place.

THINK PINK NIGHT - Utah State women's basketball team will host Nevada on Thursday, Feb. 21 on "Think Pink Night," part of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association "Cancer Awareness Weekend." All fans attending the game are encouraged to wear pink as a show of support for the brave individuals battling cancer. The $5 for admission charge for adult, $1 for children will be waived for anyone wearing pink to the game. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.

In addition to "Think Pink Night" fans are encouraged to participate in "Quilts For The Cure." Fans are encouraged to make and bring quilts to donate. The donated quilts will be given away to those affected by breast cancer. The recipients of the quilts will be announced in the second half.

Fans attending USU women's basketball home games prior to February 21 can drop off the names of those affected by breast cancer at the promotions table located inside the main entrance to the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.

SEASON 20 - The 2007-08 season marks the 20th year of women's basketball at USU, and just the fifth since the program was restarted prior to the 2003-04 season. The women's hoops program at USU had been disbanded following the 1987 season due to budget cuts. USU is playing in its third season in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) after playing its first two seasons in the Big West Conference.

ADMISSION - Admission to all home Utah State's women's basketball games is $5 for adults, $1 for youth. Contact the USU Athletics Ticket Office at (435)797-0305 or at 1-888-U-STATE-1 (1-888-878-2831) for more information or visit the Utah State athletic web site at www.UtahStateAggies.com and click on Tickets in the left hand column.

AGGIES ON THE RADIO/WEB - All Utah State women's basketball games can be heard on KLGN (1390 AM) in Logan with Evan Nyman calling the play-by-play and former USU women's basketball player Ashley Rutledge will be providing color commentary for home games. They can also be heard on the web through Yahoo! Sports, by going to the Utah State Athletics home page at www.UtahStateAggies.com and clicking on the Yahoo! Sports link in the right hand column.

LIVE STATS - Fans can follow the Utah State - San Jose State women's basketball game through live stats by visiting the Utah State women's basketball schedule page at www.UtahStateAggies.com and clicking on the "live stats" link in the box on the right hand side.

ON THE INTERNET - All Utah State's home games are available to watch live through UtahState.tv via the internet at www.UtahStateAggies.com. USU fans can also listen to every game both home and away, via USU's web site.

RETURNING - Head coach Raegan Pebley and the Aggies have three starters among nine letterwinners returning from last season's squad that posted an 11-18 overall record and 7-9 in the WAC... Senior forward Jenny Gross, senior guard Taylor Richards and junior guard Danyelle Snelgro return, as well as senior forward Jamelah Brown.

ABOUT UTAH STATE - The Aggies started off 2008 going 3-0 before falling in their last eight games and are now 6-16 overall and 2-8 in WAC action after losing at Hawai'i, 69-42, on Thursday and falling at Fresno State, 69-52, on Saturday.

In the WAC statistics, Utah State is third in the conference in free throw percentage (.706), as well as ranking seventh in scoring offense (60.3 ppg) and fourth in scoring defense (66.0 ppg), to rank seventh in scoring margin (-5.7). Utah State is also third in steals (9.50 spg), sixth in assists (11.41 apg), seventh in three-point field goal percentage (.306) and ninth in rebounding margin (-6.0).

Preseason all-WAC second-team selection Taylor Richards (SR, G, 5-4, West Valley City, Utah) leads Utah State with 10.2 ppg and 3.8 rpg, to go along with 2.64 apg and 2.00 spg. Richards pulled down seven rebounds on Thursday at Hawai'i, while she scored 17 points at Fresno State on Sunday. She is ninth in the league stats in steals, 10th in assists and 15th in scoring.

Junior guard Danyelle Snelgro (5-5, Altadena, Calif.) averages 10.0 ppg, 2.81 apg and 2.50 spg. In the league stats, Snelgro ranks second in steals, eighth in assists and 17th in scoring. She tallied 10 points and three assists at Hawai'i on Thursday, while she grabbed five rebounds and three steals on Sunday at Fresno State.

Senior center Jenny Gross (6-2, Caldwell, Idaho) averages 8.6 ppg and leads the team with 5.3 rpg. Gross recorded her first double-double of the season with 17 points and 10 rebounds at Boise State on Jan. 17. She tallied a career-high 19 points against New Mexico State on Jan. 24. Gross tallied a team-high 15 points and seven rebounds at Hawai'i on Thursday, while she scored 16 points and snared six rebounds on Sunday at Fresno State. In the league stats, Gross ranks 12th in free throw percentage (.706, 48-of-68), 13th in field goal percentage (.452, 70-of-155), 15th in rebounding and is tied for 22nd in scoring.

Senior guard Jamelah Brown (5-10, Phoenix, Ariz.) posts 8.1 ppg and is second on the team with 5.0 rpg. Brown scored a season-high 24 points at Boise State on Jan. 17. She also tallied eight points on Sunday at Fresno State. Brown is fourth in the league stats in three-point FG pct. (.390), 19th in rebounding and 27th in scoring.

Lindsey Shipley (JR, F, 6-0, Provo, Utah) nets 6.0 ppg and grabs 2.8 rpg. Shipley tallied a career-high 20 points against San Jose State on Jan. 5, topping her previous career-high of 19 set just three games prior against Saint Mary's on Dec. 22. She is shooting 38.2 percent from field goal range (47-of-123) and 83.3 percent from the charity stripe (25-of-30).

LAST TIME OUT - FRESNO, Calif. - Senior guard Taylor Richards scored a team-high 17 points as Utah State women's basketball fell to Fresno State, 69-52, Sunday afternoon at the Bulldogs' Save Mart Center in Western Athletic Conference action.

Senior center Jenny Gross added 16 points for the Aggies as the only other player to score in double-figures for USU and also snared six rebounds. Senior forward Jamelah Brown was held scoreless for just the second time this season, but she tallied a team-high eight rebounds and junior guard Danyelle Snelgro pulled down five rebounds as the Aggies were out-rebounded by the Bulldogs, 41-39.

Utah State suffered its eighth-straight loss and is now 6-16 overall and 2-8 in conference action, while Fresno State won its third game in a row and is now 14-9 on the season with a 9-1 league record.

Jaleesa Ross posted game-highs of 24 points and nine rebounds for Fresno State, while Tierre Wilson netted 12 points and Hayley Munro tallied 11 points. Wilson and Munro each added six rebounds.

The Bulldogs opened the game on a 19-9 run, draining five three-pointers while Gross scored the first nine points for the Aggies in the opening eight minutes of action. The Bulldogs surged ahead during a three minute USU scoring drought put Fresno State up 23-11 with 8:43 left in the half. FS finished out the half on a 14-11 run and took a 37-22 lead into the break.

The Aggies went on an 8-5 run to open up the second half to cut the margin to 42-30 with 16:48 on the clock. Fresno State responded with a 13-8 run to go up 55-38 with 8:30 remaining and USU trailed by 13 or more the rest of the game.

Utah State finished the game shooting 41.4 percent from the field (24-of-58) including 2-of-16 (12.5 percent) from three-point range and shot a season-low 22.2 percent (2-of-9) at the free throw line.

Fresno State shot 42.9 percent (27-of-63) including 13-of-34 (38.2 percent) from behind the three-point arc and 15.4 percent (2-of-13) at the charity stripe.

SCOUTING SAN JOSE STATE - The Spartans are 2-20 overall and 1-8 in conference action. San Jose State is currently on a four-game losing streak after falling to Nevada, 78-62, on Thursday.

Natalie White, a 5-9 junior guard, leads SJSU with 16.0 ppg and 5.7 rpg, and she is also hitting 37.5 percent from field goal range (123-of-328). White ranks third in the WAC in scoring, third in free throw percentage (.814, 48-of-59), 11th in rebounding and 14th in three-point field goal percentage (.316). White has scored in double figures in all but one game this season.

Brittany Powell, a 6-0 sophomore forward, posts 7.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. Powell is also hitting 48.6 percent from field goal range (68-of-140). She is seventh in the WAC stats in field goal percentage, tied for eighth in blocked shots (0.91 bpg) and 18th in rebounding. Powell tallied six points and two steals against Nevada on Thursday.

San Jose State head coach Pam DeCosta is in her first season at the helm of the program. DeCosta came to SJSU after spending four seasons as the head coach at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla. In her five years as a head coach, DeCosta has compiled a 47-86 record.

THE SERIES VS. SAN JOSE STATE - Thursday is the seventh meeting between USU and SJSU, with the Spartans holding a 4-2 advantage, with Utah State defeating San Jose State, 68-58, on Jan. 5 at Logan.

USU and SJSU first met in the 1980-81 season-opener on Nov. 20, 1980, with the Spartans winning, 88-66.

The Aggies split the two meetings last year, winning the first meeting, 58-50, on Jan. 20 at Logan and falling, 63-57, in the second meeting two weeks later on Feb. 3 at San Jose.

San Jose State won both of the match-ups in 2006, 63-51, at Logan on Jan. 5 in the WAC opener, and 70-49, on March 4 at San Jose in the regular-season finale.

LAST MEETING VS. SAN JOSE STATE - A 12-0 run late in the first half fueled Utah State's 68-58 win over San Jose State on Jan. 5 in women's basketball action at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. It was USU's Western Athletic Conference opener and was the first time in the Aggies' three seasons in the league that they have opened conference action with a win.

Junior forward Lindsey Shipley netted a career-high 20 points, topping her previous career high of 19 set just three games ago against Saint Mary's on Dec. 22. Sophomore guard Danyelle Snelgro tallied 10 points and five assists, which were matched by senior forward Jenny Gross' career-high five helpers to tie for team-leading honors. Senior guard Taylor Richards snared a team-high five rebounds.

Utah State has now won two of the last three against San Jose State, with both wins coming on the Aggies' home court and USU now trails the all-time series, 4-2.

The Spartans were led by Natalie White's 18 points and seven rebounds, while Sayja Sumler added nine points and seven boards, as SJSU out-rebounded USU, 38-29.

Shipley hit 8-of-10 (80.0 percent) from the field, to lead USU to 26-of-47 (55.3 percent) in the field goal shooting department. The Aggies were 3-of-12 (25.0 percent) behind the three-point arc and were 13-of-16 (81.3 percent) at the free throw line.

SJSU hit just 36.8 percent (21-of-57) field goal shooting, draining 60.0 percent (6-of-10) from three-point land with White netting a game-high three treys. The Spartans were also just 10-of-24 (41.7 percent) from the charity stripe.

USU scored 27 points off of SJSU's 24 turnovers, but the Aggies also committed 24 miscues.

Gross and Snelgro's 10 combined assists were half of USU's 20 helpers as a team.

Utah State also had a season-high eight blocks as a team, doubling the previous high of four done twice this season. Sophomore forward Nicole Johnson had a game-high two swats.

After SJSU led 11-9, USU went on a 9-3 run to take an 18-14 lead at the 12:08 mark after a Shipley layup and the Aggies never trailed again. Utah State later led 28-20 before Shipley started a 12-0 run with a jumper and junior guard Ana Pares capped the streak with a steal and layup with 1:21 left in the half for a 40-20 Aggie advantage. The Spartans scored the final four points of the first stanza to make the scoreboard read 40-24 at the break.

White scored SJSU's last two points of the first half and the first 11 of the second half to pull the Spartans within 46-33 less than four minutes into action.

Shipley regained control for USU with a jumper with 14:09 remaining and the Aggies kept the Spartans at bay from there on out, stretching the lead to 21 on a Gross layup with 6:01 left in the game.

SJSU mounted a late charge on the USU reserves, trimming the deficit to 66-56 with 56 seconds on the clock, but couldn't get any closer.

RICHARDS IS USU CAREER ASSISTS RECORD HOLDER/TOP 10 STEALS AND POINTS LIST - Senior guard Taylor Richards now has 354 assists for her career as she holds the No. 1 spot on USU's Career Assists list.

Richards also has 157 career steals to hold sole possession of No. 2 on the USU Career Steals list. She needs 18 steals to tie for first with Margaret Johns (1980-83, 175).

The senior guard is also No. 4 on the USU Career Points list with 1,075 points, She needs six more to tie Margaret Johns (1980-83, 1,081) who holds the No. 3 spot.

SNELGRO MOVING UP CAREER ASSISTS LIST/CAREER STEALS LIST - Junior guard Danyelle Snelgro entered the career assists list on Nov. 28 and currently holds the No. 7 spot with 188 helpers. She needs three assists to become tied for sixth with Dorinda Carey (191 assists, 1978-81).

Snelgro also has 128 career steals and is currently in the No. 4 spot on the Career Steals list. She needs 17 steals to become tied for third with Carol Garrison (1980-81, 145).

THREE-POINTERS MADE LIST - Five players hold a spot on the USU Career Three-Pointers Made list. Senior guard Taylor Richards broke the career record against Louisiana Tech on Jan. 26 with her first trey of the game, surpassing former teammate Brittany Hagen (2003-07) and has currently made 87 career three-pointers. Junior guard Danyelle Snelgro is sixth with 50 and junior forward Lindsey Shipley is seventh with 36. Also on the list are senior guard Jamelah Brown and junior guard Ana Pares who are ninth and 10th with 30 and 20 three-pointers made, respectively.

CAREER FREE THROW PERCENTAGE LIST - Senior guard Taylor Richards, senior center Jenny Gross and junior guard Danyelle Snelgro are all shooting above 65.0 percent from the free throw line in their careers and hold a spot in the top 10 on the Career Free Throw percentage list. Richards is in sixth (204-of-299, .682), while Snelgro fell from fifth to seventh (104-of-153, .680) after shooting 0-of-2 at Fresno State on Sunday and Gross is ninth (140-of-213, .657).

GAMES PLAYED - Senior guard Taylor Richards is tied for fourth with former teammate Brittany Phillips (2003-07, 106) and senior center Jenny Gross is ninth with 97 games.

TIME SHARES - Nine Aggies are averaging at least 10 minutes a game with junior guard Danyelle Snelgro leading the way at 31.4 minutes per game.

SCORING SPREAD - Six Aggies have led or shared the lead in scoring this season senior guard Taylor Richards paving the way, leading in seven games, as Richards tied a season-high 18 points against Louisiana Tech on Jan. 26 and scored 17 points at Fresno State on Feb. 10... Eight different players have led in rebounding, with senior center Jenny Gross leading the way with 10 games, as she grabbed a season-high 11 boards at Portland State on Nov. 16 and pulled down 10 rebounds at Boise State on Jan. 17 as part of a double-double effort and tallied nine boards at Idaho on Jan. 19.

PEBLEY'S BITS - Pebley is entering her fifth season as head coach at Utah State, which is the longest tenure in the program's history... Pebley has coached 133 games and became the all-time leader in most games coached after the game at Idaho State on Nov. 28, topping Cindy Perkins (1978-82) who coached 115 games in her tenure at Utah State.

- With 39 careers wins, Pebley is second on USU's coaching wins list... Fern Gardner is the current leader with 55 career wins from 1972-1976.

- Four players earned academic all-conference honors in 2007 which include Jenny Gross, Brittany Hagen, Brittany (Tressler) Phillips and Taylor Richards.

- With a total of seven newcomers (four freshmen, three transfers), this is the largest group of newcomer's since Pebley's first season in 2003-04.

UP NEXT - Utah State returns home for the first time in a month, hosting Nevada (17-6, 8-2 WAC) on Thursday, Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. (MT) and Fresno State (14-9, 9-1 WAC) on Sunday, Feb. 24 at 2 p.m. (MT) in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.