Feb. 19, 2004
Box Score
Pocatello, ID--Freshman Molly Hays scored the final 11 Idaho State points, including a pair of free throws with just 5.2 seconds remaining to help the Bengals secure a 68-64 win over Big Sky foe Northern Arizona Thursday night at Reed Gym.
Hays finished with a team-high 16 points on 4-of-15 shooting, including 7-of-9 from the free throw line. She also added four rebounds, two assists, and two steals in the effort.
"I was very confident that Molly (Hays) at the free throw line at the end of the game," said head coach Jon Newlee. "She's been solid for us all season. She takes her team and was very composed down the stretch for us tonight."
The win improves ISU's record to 16-6 overall, 8-2 in Big Sky play. ISU's 16 wins ties the squad for the second most wins in school history and keeps them in second place in the league standings. Northern Arizona falls to 10-12 overall, 4-6 in conference play.
Christa Brossman tallied 15 points for ISU. She connected on 4-of-8 shots from the field, 3-of-6 from beyond the arc, and was a perfect 4-of-4 from the free throw line. She also added two assists and a steal.
"I felt good tonight," Brossman said. "I practiced a lot on my three this week with some early mornings with our coaches and it paid off. I felt more confident in my shot, which was awesome, because I have been tentative on taking it lately."
ISU forward Annie Anderson scored in double digits for the ninth time this season. The Salt Lake City native tallied 12 points with nine rebounds. She also added two assists, a block, and a steal in the victory.
Northern Arizona's Lacey Tolbert led Lumberjacks with a game-high 20 points on 9-of-17 shooting. She also dished out six assists and tallied two steals in the effort. Also helping NAU was Natalie Metz, who tallied a double-double with 19 points with 10 rebounds.
The Bengals will be in action again on Saturday, 2:05 p.m., when they host Sacramento State. The contest will be the final time home game of the season for the Bengals and the last chance to see the ISU seniors in action. A special ceremony for the seniors will be held before tip-off.
"Our seniors have seen the highs and lows of this program," Newlee said. "I would love to see them go out on top and play well We will do everything we can to make sure that happens for them."
