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Show U T A FRIDAY, JAN. 14,2005 9 T A T E S M A N Contact: Take Note: 797-1761 sports@statesman.usu.edu Gymnastics takes on No. 1 Utah in the Spectrum Friday at 6:45 p.m. USU wins big at home Santiago named Career-high scoring from Tressler improves USU to 1-2 in conference USU offensive coordinator ANDREA EDMUNDS Assistant Sports Editor Behind a career-high 22 points from sophomore Brittany lYessler, the Utah State women's basketball team defeated the Pacific Tigers 67-48 in the Spectrum Thursday night. "She's just lighting it up," freshman Taylor Richards said of Tresslers performance. "I know when I get her the ball in that corner it's in every time. I just can count on that." Fourteen steals by the Aggies with another 11 turnovers from the Tigers, propelled the Ags to their biggest conference win so far this season. With the win, the Ags improve to 7-6 on the season and 2-2 in conference play. After a tough week of practices with the players adjusting to being back in school and trying to balance that with basketball, head coach Raegan Pebley said she was not confident going into the game. "It was nice to see us play that way," Pebley said. "We've had .some pretty bad practices this week. After today's practice I was a lot more confident going into the game. I was really proud of how they played tonight." The team's performance at both ends of the court was sparked by Richards' several steals in the first four minutes of play. For the rest of the first 10 minutes, the Ags kept up an aggressive defense that forced several turnovers by Pacific. "I think it started with Taylor," TVessler said of Richards' play. "At the beginning she was so aggressive and that helps us out so much." However, the Tigers were able to post 20 points in the last 10 minutes of the first half and brought the game to within nine at the buzzer. "We had Taylor and Camille [Brox] in foul trouble," Pebley said of the comeback posted by Pacific. "Those two did so much to help our defense. When we didn't have them in, [Pacific] started scoring. At least we held on to a lead." Former Stephen F. Austin head coach Mike Santiago has been named as Utah State's new offensive coordinator it was announced by Aggie head football coach Brent Guy on Wednesday. Santiago spent the past six seasons coaching the IAA Lumberjacks and compiled a 39-27 record, including a 21-14 mark in Southland Conference play. His teams posted winning seasons in each of his six years there, marking the longest such streak in school history. He also led SFA to a share of the conference title in 1999 in his first season at the school, a year after the team went 3-8. Santiago, who graduated from Southern Utah in 1977, spent the prior nine seasons as the offensive coordinator at McNeese State, where the Broncos led the Southland in passing offense in 1996 and scoring offense in 1997 and 1998. His last three quarterbacks at McNeese all earned all-Southland Football League honors. In fact, quarterbacks under his guidance earned all-conference honors in 11 of the last 13 seasons. John 2s'\ray/jz$iray@cc.usu.edu BRITTANY TRESSLER guards Pacific's Kelsey Lavender in the Aggies' 67-48 win over the Tigers Thursday night in the Spectrum. Tressler had a career-high 22 points to lead all players in scoring for the night. "Usually we let teams back in the game because it's almost like we're surprised that we're so far ahead [and so we keep] playing to not get behind," Richards said. "So we came out aggressive and strong. We kept going at them instead of playing at their level." In the beginning of the second half, it looked like Pacific would be able to stay in the game after two layups by junior Tina Sanerivi, who finished the game with 19 points, Aird each added 11 points for the to bring the game to within six. Ags while Tressler led the team in rebounds with seven. But the Ags fought back came out strong on both offense and "Anyone can beat anyone in this defense for the rest of the half; conference, so it's nice that we can get those at home," Pebley said. "We're proud of how we did in the second half," Pebley said. "We Sanerivi led the way for the didn't let them back into it, we Tigers with her 19 points and eight stayed pretty steady." rebounds. The Ags ended the game with 14 steals while shooting 42.9 percent WIN from the field. Richards and Ali See Page 70 Aggies lose double-OT heartbreaker Despite early lead, Aggies fall to 1st place Pacific BY AARON FALK Sports Editor John Zsirayijzsiray@cc.usu.edu UTAH STATE'S NATE HARRIS jumps for a ball against Loyola Marymount during the Cossner Food Classic in December. Harris had 12 points in the Aggies' loss to Pacific Thursday night in California. Going in to Thursday night's matchup with first-place Pacific, Utah State basketball coach Stew Morrill said his team needed to "hang around" if the Ags wanted to have a chance to win. Scratching, scraping and clinging to hope, senior Spencer Nelson carried his team on his back Thursday, forced two overtimes, left claw marks on the court and walked away with hardwood and blood under his fingernails. Scoring 15 of his game-high 23 points in the second half, Nelson almost single-handedly kept the Aggies hanging around, but in the end, to no avail. A dagger 3-pointer by Pacific's David Doubley with 1:38 left to play forced USU to foul. The Tigers hit six free throws down the stretch, cementing the Aggies' demise - 73-66. "We competed about as hard as you can compete," Morrill said. "We probably had 10 chances to win and 10 chances to lose." Nelson, battling with bronchitis, had a "tough time" during timeouts, but insisted he was OK, Morrill said. The senior played 43 of the game's 50 minutes and fin- ished with 12 rebounds and seven assists. "Spence is a warrior," forward John Neil said. "He brings it every single night. He never gives up." Neil contributed nine points and seven rebounds in the game, but all of his points came in the first half. The Ags led by as much as 10 in the first half, but a 12-2 Pacific run - fueled by nine points from Guillaume Yango - kept the Tigers in the game. And at the intermission, USU was clinging to a four point lead. A three-point play from Yango, a layup from Marko Mihailovic and a running 3-pointer from Doubley and the Tiger's exploded out of the locker room with a 8-0 run to start the second half. Pacific would push the lead to as much as 10, but a gritty performance by Nelson kept the Ags in the game. Freshman standout Jaycee Carroll, the Big West's leading scorer, was limited to only two points in the first half, but knocked down eight more in the second. No other Aggie scored in the second half. "We didn't get frustrated," Neil said of the team's second half performance. "We just battled." Foul shots from Nelson forced HFARTBRFAKFR See Page 10 Gymnasts to host No. 1 Utah LOGAN, Utah - Utah State gymnastics opens the i regular season against number one ranked Utah in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrumon Friday, Jan. 14 at 6:45 p.m. Utah State set a new team regional qualifying score record last season with a 195.730 but just missed out on qualifying for regionals. The Aggies are looking to bounce back from the injury plagued 2004 season with some of the most team depth they have ever had. Leading the Aggies in the all-around will be redshirt sophomore Jessica Parenti and freshman Megan Tschida. Utah is coming off of an upset victory over preseason number one UCLA last Friday, 197.675-197-300. The Utes were led by senior AllAmerican Annabeth Eberle and freshman Ashley Postell as the two shared the allaround title with a 39-625. "We are looking to establish a consistent routine level at the beginning of the season," said head gymnastics coach Ray Corn. "We cannot aspire to success unless we hit 24 of 24 routines every night" No. 5 Duke beats NC State RALEIGH, N.C. - Shelden Williams scored 18 of his 22 points in the second half to help No. 5 Duke beat North Carolina State 86-74 on Thursday night Daniel Ewing added 17 points for the Blue Devils (120, 2-0 Atlantic Coast Conference), who scored on nine straight possessions midway through the half to charge ahead after trailing by 10 early. Cameron Bennerman scored 20 points for the Wolfpack (10-5, 0-2), who have lost four straight games for thefirsttimesince the 1999-00 season. Julius Hodge, the reigning ACC player of the year, had just 13 points on 3-for-lO shooting. |