Jan. 30, 2003
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Box Score
Pocatello, ID---ISU's first four Big Sky games went down to the wire, but this one will go down as a classic. With each team failing to close the lid down on victory, Idaho State's Marquis Pool and Danny Boticki hit three late free throws, and David Schroeder blocked away a three-pointer by Fats Hunt at the buzzer as the Bengals knocked off Big Sky leading Eastern Washington 88-86 in double-overtime.
The game was ISU's first double overtime since January 17, 1998, and their first at home since December 12, 1991, when ISU beat Akron 93-87.ISU improved to 5-2 all-time in double-overtime.
Eastern had hit two late threes in Pocatello in the last three years to defeat ISU. In 2000, Ryan Hansen hit a 55-foot hook shot with no time left to beat ISU, and then last year Marc Axton hit a late three to push Eastern to a 76-71 win.
Idaho State had several chances to win the game in regulation, but faltered at the free throw line. After a Marquis Poole three-point play with 1:40 left, both teams traded misses before Chris Hester hit a layup with 27.4 left to make it 65-64. Danny Boticki than missed the front end of a one-and-one with 24.8 left, but Jeremy Brown stole the ball from Hester, and was fouled with 22.8 left, but he too missed both free throws.
Brandon Merritt tried to dump the ball inside, but Ray Munyagi stole the ball and flipped it to David Schroeder, who was fouled. Schroeder hit both shots with 6.4 left. Merritt then took the inbounds pass, dribble up court and sank a three with 1.2 left to knot the game at 67.
After Eastern took the first lead with a quick free throw, ISU built the lead back to three on another Poole three-point play with 2:51 left. Merritt followed with a basket, and then a free throw at 1:09 left to tie it at 72. Poole then made one of two with 45.4 left and with 22.6, Eastern's T.J. Williams hit two free throws for their last lead, at 74-73.
Poole then drove the lane and missed, but Jeremy Brown got the rebound and was fouled. Brown hit both free throws with 6.7 left and ISU led 75-74. Merritt again took the inbounds pass but dribbled of his foot, he recovered and was bumped by Poole in the backcourt with 2.5 left. Merritt missed the first but hit the second, and Brown's 60-foot three pointer just missed, sending the game to a second overtime.
ISU never trailed in the second five minutes, with David Schroeder's three from the corner putting ISU up for good. Eastern continued to cut into the lead, but ISU always responded. Poole hit a pair of free throws with 24.0 left, and then Jeremy McCullough hit a layup with 12.6 left to cut it to 87-86. Boticki followed with one made free throw at 6.1, and Schroeder then blocked Fats Hunt's last ditch three to end it.
The Bengals were led by Poole who scored 18 points. Schroeder had 17, Jeremy Brown scored 16, and Danny Boticki added 13. A big factor was the defense employed on Eastern's big three of Marc Axton, Alvin Snow, and the Chris Hester, who each committed seven turnovers.
