Dec. 1, 2002
Box Score
Fresno, CA--- A pair of long scoreless droughts by the Idaho State men's basketball team gave Sam Houston State the leeway it needed in a 65-58 win on Saturday night in Fresno, California.
Idaho State (1-4) led by as many as nine points in the first half, but only scored three points in an eight-minute stretch to close out the first half. The Bengals tied at the game at 40-all four minutes into the second half, but a 19-6 run by Sam Houston State put the game away.
"We're struggling offensively," said Idaho State coach Doug Oliver. "We can't dribble, can't pass, can't shoot. That's not a good combination."
The Bengals shot 36 percent from the field and only 50 percent from the free throw line. Meanwhile, Sam Houston State shot the lights out, making 56 percent of its shots from the floor.
A concern Oliver must now address is whether or not the Bengals' season-long shooting woes have become a mental problem.
"You worry about that all the time," Oliver said. "We'd better start with the basics; dribbling, passing, shooting."
Junior transfer Marquis Poole led the team with 13 points. Junior transfer Scott Henry had his second double-double as a Bengal, scoring 12 points and nabbing 10 rebounds. A night after sustaining a concussion against Fresno State, senior Jeremy Brown scored 10 points, though all came late in the game. Junior Aaron Bradley took an elbow to the face late in the game; he had to go to the hospital after the game to get stitches for a cut above his eye.
The Bengals are back in action on Wednesday against Menlo College in Holt Arena, 7:05 p.m.
courtesy of the Idaho State Journal
