Nov. 25, 2003
Stats
Pocatello, ID--Lindy Whitley set a school record with nine three-point field goals and freshman Molly Hays had her first double-double, helping the Idaho State Bengals to defeat the Boise State Broncos 97-77 in women's basketball action Tuesday night at Reed Gymnasium.
Whitley, a senior from Murray, UT, hit on 11-of-18 shots from the field, including 9-of-15 from three point range. Those nine three's broke the ISU record of eight, set by Stacy Nelson against Southern Utah during the 1995-96 season. She also tied the ISU record for three attempted in a game with 15. She was especially hot in the second half, hitting on 6-of-7 trey attempts.
"She (Whitley) made a commitment to play defensively during the offseason and its paid off," ISU Head Coach Jon Newlee said. "(Tonight) I told her not to stop shooting. Her not only made shots, but her teammates set screens to help her get open."
Hays, a freshman from Missoula, MT, had her second consecutive double figure rebound night with 11. She added 16 points to post her first double-double as a Bengal. Heidi Gifford (15 points) and Laraine Barron (17 points) also reached double figures in scoring, while Merrilee Udy came off the bench to dish out nine assists.
"Molly was very poised tonight," Newlee said. "She comfortable doing the little things, working on the boards, getting deflections, etc."
With ISU leading by seven points early in the half (42-35), BSU rallied to cut the deficit to just three points on a Jamie Hawkins lay-up with 18:57 left in the game. But three pointers by Barron and Whitley keyed a 12-2 run that gave ISU a 54-41 lead. The Broncos cut the lead to six once again with 11:25 left to go on a Jodi Nakashima trey. But eight points by Whitley led ISU on a 13-2 run to put the game out of reach at 76-59.
As a team the Bengals shot an impressive 47.0 percent (31-66) from the field, including 44.0 percent (11-25) from three-point range. ISU outrebounded the Broncos 42-30 and forced 23 turnovers.
"Boise State is a great team, definitely better than they were last year," Newlee added. "I liked the way we handled ourselves against their pressure. Tonight we played a real team game. We had nine players score and everybody helped each other out. They were always looking for each other and made the extra pass."
The Bengals will put their perfect 2-0 record on the line on Friday when they travel to Bolder, CO, to face the 16th-ranked (USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll) University of Colorado Buffaloes in the first round of the Coors Classic at 8:45 p.m. The Bengals will play either Lehigh or California in the second round on Saturday.
"This will be a good test for us," Newlee said. "We'll get a chance to see where we're at. They're a legitimate top-20 team."
