March 6, 2004
Stats
Pocatello, ID -- Scott Henry scored 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, including a big 11-point first half to keep ISU in it early, and the Bengals survived a second straight game-winning attempt at the end of the game as the Bengals advanced to the Big Sky Tournament semifinals for the second straight year with a 74-73 win over Montana, a team which had won four straight against the Bengals.
Last Saturday against Eastern Washington, needing a win to get into the tournament, the Bengals got a late basket by Marquis Poole and then survived a driving layup at the buzzer by Danny Pariseau for a 91-90 double-overtime win.
Idaho State, which entered the game having both never losing a home Big Sky Tournament game (3-0), but had also never having won as a three-seed (0-3), nearly experienced deja vu, as Montana came back from 13 down just three weeks ago to win on a Kevin Criswell jumper with 7.2 left. This time, after a Marquis Poole turnover and a Montana timeout, Brian Lynch drove the lane looking for Criswell. Scott Henry stepped into the lane to deny entry, and Lynch hit Ryan Pederson, who was alone for three, but the ball rimmed out. Nate Rede grabbed the rebound with 0.7 seconds left to seal the win.
Idaho State was against outrebounded by the Griz 34-26, although ISU actually outrebounded Montana 16-15 in the second half, one where the Bengals outscored Montana 46-38.
The Bengals got out to a quick 6-2 lead before Montana turned their game on and handled play in the opening half. The Grizzlies (10-18) went on a 13-2 run to take a 15-10 lead, and they opened that up to eight at 23-15 with 7:25 left in the half after a Brian Lynch three. Lynch, a walk-on freshman starting in place of the injured Derrick Mansell, scored eight points and added four assists.
Marquis Poole answered with a basket, but he was called for a foul after the basket, putting him on the bench with two fouls. With Poole on the bench for the last 7:10, ISU would cut it to two, but the Grizzlies used a pair of late baskets to lead 35-28 at the break.
The Bengals came out firing on all cylinders in the second half, using an early 21-4 run over an 8:7:43 stretch to take a 53-44 lead. The points were spread throughout the run with Jeff Gardner hitting a cutting Poole for the lead and one of his career-high tying eight assists.
Montana took just 1:19 to cut the lead back to two, but ISU eventually ballooned it back to 10 at 66-56 with 5:55 to go after a Nate Rede free throw.
Kevin Criswell cut it to three with 2:34 left, but a Marquis Poole three point play got it back to six, and it fouled out Newcomer of the Year Kamarr Davis, who had a double-double. Roy Booker hit a three with 1:51 to go, and after the teams traded hoops, ISU led with 1;14 to go 74-71. Marquis Poole then suffered two turnovers in the final minute, the first leading to a pair of Criswell free throws with 35.7 left to make it 35.7, and then Matt Dlouhy grabbed the ball after Poole lost the handle, setting up the final play.
Along with Henry's 24- and 10 night, Marquis Poole added 19, Jeff Gardner 13 and Nate Rede 12.
Post Game Quotes---
Idaho State Head Coach Doug Oliver
"That's the fourth one-point game this year at home, so we are getting used to it."
"At this point from here on out everything is fun. This is what you play for. It really was a hack of a college basketball game, but we've played in quite a few of those this year."
On Montana's different defensive looks...
"I've never seen that where you box and one and post player, but there was Criswell running around chasing Henry. We practiced a lot of those junk defenses all week, the diamond and one, triangle and two, but not box and one on the post player. But, we called a timeout and addressed it, and the kids responded to it well."
Idaho State Guard Jeff Gardner
On his eight assists...
"A couple of those were set plays, and I gapped them and I was able to get it to guys."
On Ryan Pederson's last shot...
"It's a different feeling after a game when the ball rims out and one where it goes in. I'm glad the ball bounced our way this time."
On ISU's game plan offensively...
"They were without Mansell, and he has been a real leader, so we knew that we wanted to get out on them defensively and make their other perimeter players handle the ball"
Idaho State Forward Scott Henry
On playing the whole game after receiving a technical and fouling out with 12 minutes left in the last meeting...
"I kept my mouth shut, and I was behaving real well"
On the halftime adjustment...
"We didn't have a very good first half and we decided that we weren't going to go out like that."
On Ryan Pederson's last shot...
"I got my hand out but it was very close. We were lucky that he didn't make it."
Idaho State guard Marquis Poole
On whether or not there was a sense of urgency after sitting out the last 7:10 of the first half...
"I was real anxious to get back into the game. Thanks to my teammates I was able to play my game."
On his teammates play with Montana double-teaming him...
Scott was real key. Our inside game was great tonight, and Scott was almost unstoppable.
On playing NAU in the semifinals, another team that swept ISU...
It's hard to beat a team three times, and we're real excited to get a chance at another team that swept us.
Montana Head Coach Pat Kennedy
On the final play...
"I wanted to get the ball in the hands of Roy or Kevin at the end, but credit them they did a good job."
On how he felt getting to play ISU in Reed Gym...
"We've had some great games against them, especially here, as that's three great games in the last two years."
On Montana's future...
"We feel saddened by not playing better then we could have all year long, but great about our February. I think we have a great foundation for the future."
On the play of walk-on Brian Lynch...
"Brian Lynch did a phenomenal job for a true freshman walk-on, but we didn't have a good flow of our offense. "
On what was the key over their last seven games, when they went 5-2...
"The five games we won we had a positive assist-turnover ratio and the two we lost we didn't, and that means a lot in how we play."
On the teams' feeling when they went down 10 with six to go...
"We were down 13 the last time we were here so we knew we could come back on them."
On ISU's offensive strategy...
"Without Mansell, we knew they were going to come right out at us."
On Pederson's final shot...
First of all he is wide open, so you can't complain about that. He is such a great kid it's a shame it didn't go for him. Great look, great shot, it just didn't go.
Montana Center Ryan Pederson
On the final shot...
"He (Lynch) gave me a great pass, and I had a great look, it just didn't go down."
On getting to start in his final game...
"It felt good to play well down the stretch my last few games, and I thank the coaching staff for that opportunity. We did our best, and we just came up a little bit short."
Montana Guard Kevin Criswell
On guarding Marquis Poole...
"Poole's tough, he's the best player in the league. He just hurt us in the second half."
Montana Guard Roy Booker
On his lack of second half scoring until the last two minutes...
"(I had) Less looks and we were trying to get the ball to Kamarr, because he didn't get enough touches in the first half."
