Ute Women's Basketball Falls to Aggies in Season Opener, 67-58

Kalee Whipple leads Utah with 21 points.

Kalee Whipple had 21 points to lead Utah against Utah State.
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Nov. 13, 2009

LOGAN, Utah - The Utah women's basketball team could not overcome a strong Utah State start, falling in their season opener to the Aggies, 67-58

Kalee Whipple led Utah with 21 points while Taryn Wicijowski, who earned her first career start, was also in double figures with 12 points. Halie Sawyer pulled down a team-high 13 rebounds for the Utes.

The Aggies came out firing on all cylinders, taking a 13-point lead, 18-5, through the first six minutes of the first half. They would take as much as a 22-point lead in the half and led 44-27 at halftime behind 62.1 percent shooting, led by 16 points from Amber White. Whipple had 14 points for the Utes in the half.

Utah battled back in the second half, outscoring Utah State 31-23 and coming within eight points as the minutes ticked off. The Utes held the Aggies to just two points in a six-minute stretch and cut the lead to 10 points, 59-49, with five minutes remaining, but Utah State was able to hold onto their lead the remainder of the way.

USU shot 54.2-percent in the contest compared to Utah's 38.2-percent, while the Utes won the rebounding battle, 36-28.

Sawyer and Janita Badon added eight points for Utah. Sasha McKinnon also made the first start of her Utah career.

White would finish with 25 points for Utah State while Alice Coddington scored 18 points. Lydia Whitehead led USU with nine rebounds.

Utah opens their Huntsman Center campaign on Tuesday, Nov. 17, against Minnesota.