Feb. 12, 2006
Final Stats
Sacramento, CA --- Idaho State University's David Schroeder nailed a three-pointer with 7.8 left, and the Bengals survived two near misses in the final seconds as ISU scored a big comeback win 72-71 over Sacramento State, boosting their conference tournament hopes. The game marked the fifth time in the last six meetings with the Hornets that the score was decided by two points or less.
The win broke Sacramento State's four-game winning streak over ISU, including three straight wins by a combined five points, the final two on Hornet baskets at the buzzer. However it was the Bengals who answered back with last second heroics on Schroeder's three.
Although not as high scoring as Sacramento State's 107-106 win over ISU earlier this year, this one was just as nailbiting, as the game featured 13 lead changes and eight ties in the second half. With Sacramento State up 54-51 with 3:27 left, Akbar Abdul-Ahad hit a three to tie the game, and Slim Millien added a free throw for a one point ISU lead.
The teams traded baskets before Clark Woods converted both ends of a one-and-one for a 68-67 Hornet lead with 58.2 left. ISU's Tim Henry missed a shot, but Kasey Winters grabbed the last of his career-high 14 rebounds, and was fouled, amking both shots with 37.2 left to give the Bengals a 69-68 lead.
Leath then put an exclamation point on his night with a three-pointer with 21.4 left to give Sacramento State a 71-69 lead, but ISU answered back. After a timeout with 16.0 left, Ahad drew a double-team and dished off to Schroeder, who buried a three with 7.8 left for a 72-71 Bengal lead. ISU then survived a missed layup attempt by DeSahwn Freeman, but the ball went out of bounds to the Hornets with 0.3 left. Jason Harris' desperation tip was in time but off the mark, and the Bengals had finally exacted revenge against the Hornets.
"Under most circumstances I probably couldn't get that shot off," said David Schroeder. "but they doubled Akbar, and that extra step opened up enough room for me to get that shot off." The shot was sweet redemption for Schroeder, who missed a straight away three-pointer to give ISU the win against Northern Arizona earlier this year.
Last second heroics seemed anything but an unlikely occurrence as the Hornets pressed early and often, and they didn't miss many shots either in bolting out to a quick 21-5 lead just 6:35 into the game. Sacramento State then led by 17 at 26-9 with just 8:05 left after a basket by Loren Leath, who scorched ISU for game-high 26 points. But with their playoff tournament hopes hanging by a thread, the Bengals responded.
ISU reeled off seven quick points before Sacramento State responded and pushed the lead to 10 at 32-22 with 2:31 left, but the Bengals outscored the Hornets 11-2 over the rest of the half, including a wild play to end the half to cut the Hornet lead at the break to just one at 34-33. With 1.6 left, Tim Henry threw an in-bounds pass three-quarters of the court, where Kasey Winters out jumped everyone, and went back up and laid the ball in at the buzzer.
"That was a big play by Kasey at the end of the half," said Doug Oliver. "But in a one-point game they are all big. I thought the kids deserved this after all of the close losses we've had this year, they deserved to win it on a big shot like that."
On the decision to have Schroeder go for the win, Oliver said, "You know during the timeout, coach Wilson said that we should score a three and get out of here."
The Bengals won despite committing 21 turnovers, as Sacramento State outscored ISU off turnovers 25-9. The Bengals were led in scoring by Slim Millien, who had 19, to go with Schroeder's 17. Kasey Winters had a monster double-double with 12 points along with his 14 rebounds, and Tim Henry added a quiet but important 12 points. Akbar Abdul-Ahad was the only Bengal sub to see significant minutes, and he responded with eight points and a career-high nine assists.
Sacramento State's Loren Leath led everyone with his 26 points, and DeShawn Freeman was the only other Hornet in double-figures with 11 points. ISU outrebounded the Hornets 41-32, and outshot them .464 to .422.
The win pushes ISU to 3-8 in the Big Sky, just one game behind Weber State and two behind Sacramento State. The Bengals currently own the tiebreaker against the Hornets, and ISU could own the tiebreaker against the Wildcats if the right combination of things happen between some of the other teams in the league.
This week is a big one for the Bengals as they have just one game, on Thursday against Portland State in Pocatello at 7:05 pm. Idaho State plays their final three conference games in Reed Gym.
NOTES: Kasey Winters had one previous double-double, against South Dakota State ... ISU's previous single-game high for assists this season was six, accomplished twice before ... Slim Millien added three blocks, and his 72 for the season ranks tied for fourth in Big Sky Conference single-season history ... David Schroeder's two threes put him in fifth on the ISU career list ahead of current Sacramento State assistant coach Lorenzo Watkins ... Doug Oliver, who coached at Stanford for 12 years, had most of his California based family members at the game, including his parents and all of his grand-children.
