AMES, Iowa (12/30/2006)—Colgate University junior Caitlin Gillard (Vestal, N.Y.) had a game-high 15 points and seven rebounds, but it wasn’t enough as the Raiders fell to Utah State, 58-42, in women’s basketball action this evening at the Cyclone Classic at Iowa State. The Aggies were led by Taylor Richards’ 11 points.

 

Freshman TaHara Williams (Mason, Ohio) had a strong outing for Colgate with 10 points and a career-high six rebounds. Jenny Gross was the Aggies’ other double-digit scorer with 10 points.

 

Utah State (4-8) had a strong first half of shooting that put them in from by 13 points at halftime. The Raiders picked up the defense in the second stanza, but could never climb to within three possessions.

 

Utah State jumped out to a 7-0 lead before Colgate (1-13) scored five unanswered to make it a two-point game at the 15:50 mark. The Raiders were unable to get over the hump as the Aggies stretched their lead back to eight points, 16-8 with 13 minutes left in the opening frame.

 

Utah State continued to hit its shots in the second part of the half, pushing the advantage to, 32-19, at the break. Always hitting shots to stifle a Colgate run, the Aggies shot 47.8 percent from the floor in the first half and 55.6 from behind the three-point line. The Raiders connected on just 27.3 percent of their shots and only 25 percent from long range.

 

Coming out of the break trailing by 13 points, the Raiders cut the lead to nine off of a jumper from Gillard. That would be as close as Colgate would get for the remainder of the game.

 

The Aggies built their advantage back to 14 points at, 44-30, before Colgate outscored Utah State 6-2 to make it 10 points again. Utah State stopped the surging Raiders from making a run by hitting the next basket and knocking down free throws down the stretch.

 

Utah State shot just 29.2 percent from the floor in the second half and only 16.7 percent from behind the arc.

 

Colgate rookie Katie Garman (Poplar Grove, Ill.) added eight points and six rebounds in the losing effort. Sharvelle Hurd led all Aggies on the glass with six rebounds.

 

Utah State outrebounded the Raiders 38-32 and shot 38.3 percent from the field. The Raiders finished the contest with a 30.6 shooting percentage and 15.4 percent from long range.

 

Colgate will take two days off before closing out its non-conference schedule at Dartmouth on Jan. 2. That game is scheduled to tip off at 5 p.m., in Hanover, N.H.