Nov. 28, 2006
Box Score
Pocatello, ID--Despite a 22-point, 14-rebound double-double effort from Natalie Doma, Idaho State dropped a 79-58 decision to Wyoming Tuesday night in the team's home opener at Reed Gym. The loss drops the Bengals to 0-5 on the season, while Wyoming improves to 6-1.
"I thought we did a much better job of handling the ball tonight," said ISU head coach Jon Newlee. "While its disappointing to lose, this is one of our best efforts of the season. We improved on the glass and didn't turnover the basketball."
The Bengals stayed close with Wyoming through the first 10 minutes of the first half, taking a 16-14 lead after Andrea Lightfoot hit a shot from beyond the arc. Wyoming's Jodi Bolerjack then answered with a three of her own, sparking a 14-2 run to give the Cowgirls a 28-18 lead with seven minutes to go. UW held the lead, taking a 38-29 advantage into halftime.
Wyoming extended its lead to 20 points, 60-40 at the 10:59 mark, but Idaho State rallied with a 14-3 run to cut the UW lead to single digits, 63-54. Kaylynn Fager came off the bench to score six points during the stretch to keep the Bengals close. The rally was short-lived as Wyoming closed out the contest with a 16-4 run to secure the win.
"We had some mental defensive breakdowns and that cost us the game," Newlee said. "We were not rotating in our zone and we let (Jodi) Bolerjack get open, and she hit everything."
Doma collected her 22 points on 10-of-18 shooting. The junior center also collected a season-high 14 rebounds in 36 minutes of play. Jeni Boesel helped with nine points, while Aralee Smith added eight off the bench. Lightfoot and Fager each recorded six points in the effort.
Idaho State, which averaged 23.0 turnovers heading into the game, finished the game with just 14--a season low. The Bengals also hit the boards, outrebounding Wyoming 42-37.
The Bengals connected on 21-of-59 shots from the field for a 35.6 clip. The team hit 5-of-23 shots from long range, while Wyoming connected on 13-of-36 threes.
"We had some great looks at the basket tonight," Newlee said. "We just couldn't knock down the shots."
Bolerjack led Wyoming with 22 points on 8-of-13 shots from the field, including a 6-of-9 clip from beyond the arc. Hanna Zavecz helped with 14 points, while Megan McGuffey added 12.
Idaho State continues play at home on Dec. 2 when the team hosts Utah Valley State. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:05 p.m.
