By Oscar Benitez (@OscarB006) – Spear Reporter | Maya Anderson and Amelie Sitterud celebrating after a win vs Nevada 01/21 (Photo by SJSU Athletics)
San Jose State women’s basketball (4-23, 2-14 MW) edge out a 58-56 win against Utah State (6-19, 2-14 MW)
The Spartans leaned on sophomore forward Maya Anderson, who scored 22 points to lead all scorers and provide steady offense throughout the night.
“It feels great to win, we’ve been wanting one and have been working hard for a while, so it feels good to finally get one,” Anderson said.
The Spartans built a strong lead in the second quarter before the Aggies stormed back to make it a one-possession game late.
Defense carried the Spartans early, as Utah was held to just two of 19 from three, and forced 11 turnovers in the first half.
“Defense, especially in that first half, was lights out,” SJSU head coach Jonas Chatterton said. “We kind of jacked them up with a little bit of the defense that we had.”
When the game tightened in the fourth quarter, sophomore forward Kaliyah Dillard delivered in crucial moments with key defensive rebounds to protect the slim lead.
“This is Kaliyah’s best game,” Chatterton said. “She was super active. She was energetic. She got every defensive rebound down there.”
Chatterton also praised senior guard Katarina Anderson’s impact on both ends of the floor, calling her presence a key factor in the win.
“Katarina was really good tonight,” Chatterton said. “She did a great job defensively and gave us big minutes when we needed them.”
By the end of the game, the Spartans forced Utah to 21 turnovers.
“We’ve been practicing a lot on defense, applying pressure because teams have been doing that to us so we just want to reciprocate the effort,” junior guard Allie Cummins said.
After losing 74-61 in the previous meeting against Utah, the Spartans responded with improved defense and late-game execution.
The Spartans will look to carry this momentum as they host Boise State at 1 p.m. on Saturday at the Provident Credit Union Event Center for a Mountain West matchup.
