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By Earl Scott
Excitement, nerves and inexperience on USU's part played a role in Southern Utah's (1-0) 79-60 runaway win. The Aggies gathered in the tunnel screaming, jumping up and down, hardly able to contain themselves waiting to take to the court for warm-ups. When the time finally came they were met with a loud roar of applause from the throng of supporters. With all the hype and attention being heaped on the young team, starting off slow and unsettled was to be expected. It took USU about two minutes to score a basket, when forward Brittany Tressler made a jumper from the foul line to get USU (0-1) going. "I think what happened was they psyched themselves up so much mentally to be ready for the game," said Head Coach Raegan Pebley. "I didn't have any expectations from this game except for us to learn from it. None of these kids have Division I basketball experience except for Virginia (Jennings). . . . I think they all felt a lot of pressure." Guard Christina Zdenek's first shot was an air ball, but she then settled down to lead USU in scoring with 16 points. Forward Ann-Marie Torp was the only other Aggie to score in double figures with 12 points. Jennings, who transferred from Buffalo and redshirted last year, didn't score. After falling behind early, Zdenek tied the score at 11 with a three-pointer, five minutes into the game, but the Aggies were never able to take the lead. SUU went on a 13-0 run to take the score to 33-20 with five minutes left in the first half and USU was never able to recover. Center Ali Aird got into early foul trouble and spent most of the first half on the bench, forcing the Aggies to shoot from the outside, where they were 1 for 13 in three-point attempts in the first half. They were 4 for 4 in the second half, but SUU had already put the game away by then. Aird finished with five points. "We have to get Ali a lot more touches," Pebley said. "When she got into foul trouble, I waited too long to put her back in the game." Turnovers were the key to the second half. At one point early in the period, USU committed turnovers in five straight possessions and SUU turned them all into points. SUU's converting turnovers and USU going cold from the floor allowed the Thunderbirds a 27-8 run, putting the score at 70-37 with about eight minutes to play in the game. "It was frustrating as a team to have five turnovers in a row," Zdenek said. "That converts to them having two points almost every time. We were trying to run our plays and we weren't executing. That was tough." Thunderbird guard Casey Cooke scored 27 points to lead all scorers, getting 10 of her points off turnovers. USU did manage to put things together in the final nine minutes of the game, outscoring SUU 23-9. The way USU finished the game was important to Pebley. "I believe the way you finish a game is the way you start the next," she said. "It gives us a good start for the Montana State game. We will get better as the season goes on. I promise you that." Despite the lopsided score, there was still electricity in the air after the game. A dozen or so media representatives were on hand to cover the opening and fans stayed around to encourage the team and collect a few autographs. When asked if she was glad the first game was over so that her and her teammates could concentrate on basketball, Zdenek said no, she's enjoyed it. "I thought it was fun; everybody was so into it. It's been awesome," she said. "I've never been a part of something so big before. This has been a great experience. Even though we lost tonight, I think as we get deeper into the season and gain experience we'll be able to win." Athletic Director Rance Pugmire said he was happy with the turnout and the support the team has been receiving from the community. "Our students have been great basketball fans here for years and there's no reason to think it won't continue," he said. "I'm thrilled with the atmosphere. I think you would be hard-pressed to find an atmosphere like this in any women's basketball arena in the state." USU next travels to Bozeman, Mont., for a contest at 7 p.m. Monday
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