LOGAN, Utah (Interstat) — The Utah State Aggies used a decisive third-quarter surge and clutch late-game execution to defeat the Omaha Mavericks 77-69 in a non-conference women’s basketball game Saturday at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.

In a game that was statistically closer than the final score indicated, the Aggies improved to 2-1 overall, while the Mavericks fell to 1-4.

Omaha established an early lead, ending the first quarter with a 16-10 advantage. The Mavericks extended their lead to seven points in the second quarter before Utah State mounted a comeback. The Aggies outscored Omaha 21-19 in the period, narrowing the gap to 35-31 at halftime.

The momentum shifted decisively in the third quarter. Utah State’s offense found its rhythm, pouring in 23 points while its defense tightened, holding Omaha to 20. The Aggies took their first lead since the opening minutes and carried a 54-51 advantage into the final period. They maintained that lead throughout the fourth quarter, matching their third-quarter output with another 23 points to secure the victory.

A key difference was Utah State’s efficiency from beyond the arc. The Aggies shot 12 for 26 from three-point range, a 46.2 percent clip, compared to Omaha’s 9 for 23 performance. Utah State also capitalized more effectively on Omaha’s mistakes, scoring 20 points off 15 Mavericks turnovers, while Omaha managed 13 points off 13 Aggie turnovers.

Sarai Estupiñan of Omaha led all scorers with 26 points, adding four rebounds and six assists in 37 minutes. Cora Olsen provided strong support for the Mavericks with 16 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Avril Smith nearly recorded a double-double with eight points and nine rebounds.

Utah State’s offense was more balanced, with four players scoring in double figures. Aaliyah Gayles and Elise Livingston each scored 16 points, with Livingston’s total coming in just 19 minutes off the bench. Marina Asensio contributed 13 points and four assists, while Karyn Sanford filled the stat sheet with 11 points, five rebounds, six assists and a block.

The Aggies held a slight rebounding edge, 38-35, and recorded more steals, seven to five. Both teams struggled at the free-throw line, with Utah State making 13 of 21 attempts and Omaha converting 12 of 18.

The game was played in front of an announced crowd of 1,554.