Jan. 2, 2003
Box Score
Denver, CO---Cristal Fernandez led four Bengals in double figures in scoring with 22 points, but it wasn't enough as the University of Denver defeated Idaho State University 81-72 in women's basketball action Thursday night at Magness Arena.
Fernandez, a junior transfer from Covina, CA, was just 5-of-16 from the field, but went 11-of-12 from the free throw line to score a game-high 22 points. She also added seven assists and six rebounds.
ISU started out the game with a bang, scoring the first six points and leading by as many as nine points in the first half. But Denver ended the half with a 9-0 run to take a 37-31 lead into the locker room. That lead expanded to 10 points at the 17:53 mark on a field goal by Kellie Carwell.
The Bengals then began to chip away at the lead. A 12-2 ISU run midway through the second half gave the lead back to the Bengals at 53-51 on a free throw by Heidi Gifford. But the homestanding Pioneers responded with a 16-3 run to take a 67-56 lead and the Bengals never cut the lead to less than five the rest of the way.
Ashley Toner was her usual self, scoring 14 points on 7-of-12 shooting and pulled down five rebounds. Freshman Hallie Hickman, the Big Sky leader in field goal percentage, continued her strong play with 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting off the bench. Merrilee Udy also reached double figures with 11 points on a season-high three three-pointers.
Five Pioneers scored in double figures led by Nicky Eason, who points a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds, both team highs. Amber Johnson had 13 points, Stephanie Hart scored 11 points and both Ragan Neblett and Carwell had 10 points. As a team the Pioneers shots 47.1 percent (32-68) from the field in the game, while holding ISU to just 37.1 percent (26-70).
The Bengals fell to 4-6 on the season with the loss, while Denver improved to 6-7. ISU will return to action on Saturday when they travel to Laramie, WY, to face the University of Wyoming at 2 p.m.
