March 7, 2007 (USU Media Relations) - LAS CRUCES, N.M. --- Sixth-seeded Utah State did not score for the final 5:45 of the game, and the Aggies lost to third-seeded Nevada, 61-60, Wednesday night in the quarterfinals of the Western Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Tournament at the Pan American Center on the campus of New Mexico State.

Complete stats and postgame audio available through wac.org.

Utah State ends its season with a 11-18 record, losing four in a row and five of its last six.

"This was heartbreaking, but it is also a learning experience," fourth-year head coach Raegan Pebley said. "The girls now know that anything could happen, especially in close games."

Nevada improves to 17-13 overall and advances to face seventh-seed and host New Mexico State in Friday's semifinal. The seventh-seeded maroon-clad Aggies upset second-seed Louisiana Tech, 63-57, in Wednesday evening's earlier quarterfinal.

Top-seed Boise State advanced to the semi's by thumping eighth-seed San Jose State, 81-64, and fourth-seed Fresno State beat fifth-seed Hawai'i, 72-47.

The loss continues USU's postseason struggles, as the Aggies have lost all four of their conference tournament games under Pebley. USU's sixth-seed matches the Aggies' highest seeding for a conference tournament.

Nonetheless, the Aggies exceeded preseason expectations, finishing sixth in the conference standings after being picked last at ninth in the WAC preseason poll.

USU also surpassed last season's win total (3-24) and last year's WAC victory total (2-14).

"It's tough especially when you know you competed to the very end of the game, when you put it all out there,"

Utah State shot a season-best 51.2 percent (22-43) from the field, including tying a season-high 44.4 percent (4-9) from three-point range. The Aggies also were 12-14 (85.7 percent) at the free pitch stripe.

However, USU did not have a field goal attempt for the final 2:49 of the game.

Junior guard Taylor Richards led Utah State with 17 points as well as dishing out a game-high five assists. Senior forward Brittany Phillips tossed in 15 points to go with seven rebounds, while junior forward Jenny Gross pulled down a career-high and Utah State season-high 13 rebounds.

USU tied Nevada with 34 rebounds apiece, as the Aggies are now 1-2 when tying the opponent in rebounding.

The Wolf Pack were led by 23 points by Dellena Criner, the only Nevada player in double-figures.

Down 8-5 in the early going, the Aggies mounted a charge, taking the lead at 14-13 on a free throw by Phillips and later led 24-18 after a layup from sophomore forward Lindsey Freeze at the 7:43 mark.

After Nevada tied the score at 24-all, USU closed out the half on a 10-4 run, as Gross blocked a shot that lead to a fast break layup from Richards and the Aggies took a 34-28 lead into halftime.

USU shot 54.5 percent (12-22) from the field in the first half, matching its season-high for field goal percentage in a half, when the Aggies also were 12-22 in the first half of their 79-63 loss at Hawai'i on Feb. 18.

The Aggies bolted out of halftime to go ahead 43-32 after a three-pointer from Phillips with 18:16 on the clock, snapping her 0-12 streak over the last four games, last making a three-pointer Feb. 22. USU opened the half 6-6, hitting two treys to take a 49-38 lead at the 15:55 mark.

Nevada crept back and closed to 58-56 with 7:09 to go. Phillips later countered with a layup at 5:45 and that would be USU's final points of the game.

Three Aggie seniors played their final game in a Utah State uniform: guard Camille Brox, and forwards Brittany Hagen and Brittany Phillips. The trio were the first senior class to be at Utah State all four years, as they were part of Pebley's original recruiting class as USU reinstated women's basketball for the 2003-04 season after discontinuing the program after the 1987 season. All three leave their mark in the USU record book and a lasting foot print on the program.

"It was an exciting year and I think we learned a lot. It has been cool to see where this program has gone and where it's going," Phillips said.

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