Dec. 4, 2002
Box Score
Pocatello, ID -- Idaho State got balanced scoring and survived a furious second-half charge to hold off and down Menlo College 72-56 in ISU's first home game of the season. David Schroeder, who made his first collegiate start, was the only Bengals to crack double-figures in scoring, but eight Bengals scored at least seven points as ISU shot a season-best .534 for the game.
The Bengals trailed just once, at 4-3 early, but put on an offensive display, bolting out to a 17-1 run to make it 20-5 at the 12:26 mark. Menlo tried to keep pace, but three straight layups by Ray Munyagi, Schroeder, and Scott Henry put ISU up 29-9, and they never let Menlo get within 20 for the rest of the first half, ballooning the lead to 27 at 38-011 at one point.
ISU carried their strong play into the second half, and looked to have things in control at the 14:57 mark with a 48-22 lead, but Menlo scored on their next 12 possessions, putting up 24 points in 5:20 and cutting the lead to seven at 53-46 after Miguel Gilliard's free throw at the 9:37 mark. The Bengals quickly counted with a Jeremy Brown basket and a Danny Boticki fast break layup to make it 57-46. Brown then drained a three to make it a 14-point game, and Menlo never threatened after that.
While Schroeder was the only Bengal in double-figure points, Marquis Poole had 10 assists and just two turnovers, the first double-figure ISU assist game since the final game of the 2000-2001 regular season when Jordie McTavish had 11 against Sacramento State (3-3-01). Henry also added 12 rebounds, his third double-figure rebound game of the year.
The Bengals improved to 2-4 with the win as they avoided becoming the fourth Big Sky team to lose to a lower division school. Weber State, Montana, and Portland State have all lost to Division II (WSU and UM) or NAIA (PSU) teams. Idaho State has some time off before their next game, on Saturday, December 14 at Cal State Fullerton.
