Jan. 10, 2004
Box Score
Pocatello, ID -- Jesse Smith hit a short jumper as the shot clock expired with 28.1 seconds left to give ISU a five point lead, and the Bengals withstood a furious Weber State comeback to win their conference opener and end Weber State's 15-game league winning streak 75-74.
The final margin of one point was as close as Weber State got after the Bengals took the lead for good at the 5:56 mark of the first half on Aaron Bradley's only basket of the game, a three from the right corner to make it 34-32. The Bengals used a punishing inside game early, scoring 22 points in the paint in the first half as they built a 45-39 halftime lead.
After the Wildcats cut the lead to 51-49 with 14:18 left, the Bengals went on a 15-2 run to take a 66-51 lead after a four and then a technical on Lance Allred. However, Weber State stormed back on 10-2 run of their own to cut the lead to seven, but ISU responded with a Marquis Poole layup and a pair of Arzelle Lewis free throws to lead 72-61 at the last media timeout at the 3:41 mark.
Weber State chipped away, and after a putback by last year's Big Sky Newcomer of the Year Slobadan Ocokoljic made it 72-69 with 1:53 left. ISU's Scott Henry then turned the ball over, but Brett Cox missed a three to tie. Poole then ran the clock down and drove the lane, kicking the ball out to Smith on the right baseline 10-feet out. Smith calmly drained the shot as the shot clock expired, and ISU led 74-69 with 28.1 left.
Weber State missed another three, and Poole made one of two with 15.9 left to make it 75-69, but John Hamilton responded with a three of his own with 8.6 left to make it 75-72. Jeff Gardner then missed two free throws that would have iced it with 6.4 left, giving Weber State a chance, but Gardner purposely fouled Hamilton with 3.1 left to avoid allowing Weber State a shot to tie. Hamilton made the first, and then tried to miss the second, but the ball bounced in, making it 75-74 with 3.1 left.
ISU then inbounded the ball, and Aaron Bradley ran the clock out for the win. The Bengals shot .491 for the game, and .792 from the line, and limited Weber State to just .375 from the field, and just .306 from three-point range on 11-of-36 shooting. The Bengals had five players in double-figures, led by Scott Henry's 19. Gardner and Poole each had 14, Arzelle Lewis added 11, and Smith had 10, along with a team-high eight rebounds. The Bengals now head back on the road after their successful 3-0 homestand as they travel to Montana on Thursday night at 7:35 pm and to Montana State on Saturday night at 7:05 pm.
-ISU-
