Jan. 19, 2006
Final Stats
Cheney, WA - Down just four at the break 35-31, Idaho State went cold after shooting nearly 50% in the opening half, and ISU dropped their seventh straight game, losing 80-64 to the Eastern Washington Eagles, dropping ISU to 7-9 overall, and 0-5 in the Big Sky.
Idaho State led 23-14 at the 8:50 mark of the first half, playing tough defense along the way. Idaho State got a basket to make it 31-29 with just over three minutes to go in the first half, but ISU didn't score the rest of the half, missing their final six shots, and Eastern's late 6-0 run gave the Eagles a 35-31 lead at the break.
The Bengals kept it close, but a three-point play by the Big Sky's leading scorer Rodney Stuckey pushed the lead to double-figures at the 14:27 mark. The Bengals responded with layups by Tim Henry and Logan Kinghorn, but Eastern answered each time. After the second of back-to-back Slim Millien dunks brought ISU to within nine, Eastern got a reverse three-point play when Derek Risper hit a free throw, then missed his second badly, with the rebound coming right back to him, and Risper scored on the play.
Idaho shot just .385 in the second half, going 10-for-26, and the Bengals managed just two three-pointers the entire night.
"We jumped up the defense, going made-miss, because Stuckey in particular is hard to handle one on one," said head coach Doug Oliver after the game. "We were forced at the end of the half to play six straight possessions of man-to-man, and they scored on five of those, and then in the second half we just came out tentative."
Oliver added, "I actually thought the group that played at the end did a good job and moved the ball, but it's a shame, because you just can't win shooting 40 percent."
Slim Millien led the Bengals with 19 points and nine rebounds, Tim Henry had 11, and Kasey Winters had 10. Rodney Stuckey had a quiet 23, and Duece Smith, who hurt ISU last year with a 26-point career night, had 16. Kellen Williams added 11 and Jake Beitinger chipped in 10 and four blocks. The Eagles scorched the nets, shooting .534 for the game, and .593 in the second half.
The Bengals now travel to Portland State to take on the 8-9, 1-3 Vikings at 8:05 pm Mountain. The Vikings got their first Big Sky win of the year with a 73-59 win over Weber State.
NOTES: The team combined for 15 blocked shots, with ISU getting eight; three by Winters, two by Millien, and one each by David Schroeder, Tony Jones, and Kyle Stevens ... ISU had 12 assists and 24 baskets a year after scoring just 10 baskets and picking up just two assists last year in Cheney ... ISU scored 40 of their 64 points in the paint.
