The Snow College women's basketball team suffered a 60-40 defeat against Utah State University Eastern Thursday night in Price.
The Badgers entered Thursday's matchup following a momentous road victory against the Salt Lake Community College Bruins Jan. 19. Snow College was led in that game by forward Samiana Suguturaga who scored a career-high 27 points on 10-15 shooting from the field. The Badgers outscored the Bruins 68-60 and looked to carry that momentum into their next game against the Eagles.
Snow College came into the game with a record of 8-10 while USUE had a record of 15-6. The last matchup between the two teams was Dec. 14 2022 where the Eagles soared to a 75-54 win at home. In that game, USUE shot 53.1% from the field and an impressive 53.3% from 3-point range. In addition, the Eagles' bench rallied for a total of 35 points which propelled them to victory.
As the game commenced, the Badgers got off to a slow start. USUE came out firing and scored 18 points in the first quarter on 53.3% shooting from the field. Snow College only scored four points in the first nine minutes of play and shot a mere 30.8% from the field. The Eagles outscored the Badgers 18-9 in the first quarter.
Although both teams' offense would struggle in the second quarter, USUE extended its lead to as much as 15 points. The Badger's shooting difficulties carried into the second quarter, as they shot just 4-19 from the field. The first half would come to a close as the Eagles led 31-17.
The Badgers would not be able to build momentum in the second half. In the third quarter, the Eagles would lead by as many as 19 points. Despite the Badger's struggles, guard Enid Vaifanua scored six points in the third quarter alone, going 3-6 from the field. However, this late-found energy from the Badgers wouldn't be enough to push them ahead.
USUE would continue to stretch its lead, and the third quarter ended 44-17 in favor of the Eagles. This trend carried into the fourth quarter as USUE maintained momentum. Thanks to their 50% field-goal shooting, the Eagles would lead by as many as 24 points. USUE carried through the fourth quarter and ended with a 60-40 victory over Snow College.
The Badgers were led in scoring by Vaifanua who finished with 15 points and four steals while Suguturaga put in 11 points. Brandi White was the next highest scorer for Snow College, adding six points on 2-2 shooting.
The Badgers will continue their road stretch by traveling to Rangely, Colorado to take on Colorado Northwestern Community College Saturday at 1:00 p.m. In their last matchup against the Spartans, the Badgers earned a 75-52 victory at home. For video streaming and live stat information, visit snowbadgers.com.
