Jan. 14, 2003
Box Score
Pocatello, ID -- Idaho State, despite not scoring a field over the final 10:14, withheld a late Fullerton rally to end the Titan's three-game winning streak and give ISU their second straight winning non-conference record with a 74-66 win on Tuesday night.
The Bengals shot a blistering .545 in the opening half in bolting to a 36-25 lead at the break, and ISU slowly stretched that lead to 20 in the second half at 56-36 at the 10:14 mark on a Jesse smith layup, but that would be the last field goal of the night for ISU. The Bengals would attempt only six field goals the rest of the way, but they went to the line 26 times, hitting on 18.
The Bengals led 60-40 at the 7:41 mark after two Rashad Kirkland free throws, , but in less than three minutes, Fullerton netted 11 points, including a four-point play on a Marquis Poole technical foul, and it went to 62-51. After a Jeremy Brown free throw made it 68-56 with 2:22, the game looked to be in hand, but the Titans, who had won three straight, all in overtime, got a pair of deep threes and with 1:14 left, it was 69-64 ISU. Marquis Poole hit a free throw, and Jamal Forcheney hit two to make it 70-66 with 1:01 left, but Fullerton wouldn't score again, and ISU hit 4-of-6 free throws down the stretch to seal it.
The Bengals got off to a hot start in part to Ray Munyagi, who made his first start in almost a month, and scored ISU's first eight points, matching his season-high. Munyagi, who also is a career sub-.500 free throw shooter, was 4-for-4 on the night from the stripe.
The Bengals, who had all 10 players that played score at least three points, host Montana in their conference opener on Thursday at 7:05 pm.
