Feb. 25, 2006
Final Stats
Pocatello, ID --- The conference tournament in a way began on Saturday night for Idaho State University, and they passed the first test. ISU used a stellar second half, shooting .567 and committing just two turnovers as the Bengals bounced back from a nine-point halftime deficit to win 81-74 over rival Weber State. The win puts ISU just one game away from clinching the final conference tournament berth.
The Bengals got a huge game from David Schroeder and Kasey Winters in the win. Schroeder scored 18 points in the second half for a season-high 27 points, including five three-pointers. Winters dropped in a double-double of 20 points and 11 rebounds as ISU outscored Weber State 51-35 in the second half.
Idaho State took the lead for the first time in the second half at the 12:41 mark on a pair of Tim Henry free throws, and the lead changed hands four times on the next four possessions until Schroeder drained a long three for a 57-55 lead. The Wildcats, who were eliminated from the conference tournament picture earlier in the day when Portland State beat Montana 93-92 in overtime, retook the lead briefly at the 6:52 mark when Terrell Stovall, who also had 27 points, drained a top-of-the-arc three for a 65-64 lead, but Schroeder answered right back with a jumper, and ISU never lost the lead after that.
Henry, who clinched the game with a breakaway dunk with 35 seconds left, felt the game was a lot like ISU's season so far. "We started out hot, then hit a bad cold spell, but we came on at the end and played well, a lot like our season." However, the way ISU ended the first half, that breakaway dunk, and the conference tournament looked like a distant memory.
ISU was up 23-14 at the 8:17 mark on a Slim Millien layup, but ISU mired themselves in a 2-for-16 slump to end the half, and Weber State ended the half on a 25-7 over those final eight minutes for a 39-30 halftime advantage.
Either way, head coach Doug Oliver will take the win and a shot at getting into the tournament on Monday night. "In reality our conference tournament started tonight. Even though Eastern Washington really has nothing to play for, I expect them to come in and try to win the game. Stuckey is a great player, The Smith kid is tough for us to handle, so we still have our work cut out for us."
The game marks the second time in three years that ISU will face Eastern Washington in Reed Gym on the final day of the season needing a win to get into the conference tournament. In 2004, ISU got a layup with 5.3 left in the second overtime from Marquis Poole, and then survived as Eastern's layup at the buzzer rolled around on out for a 92-91 win the put ISU into the tournament.
Along with Schroeder and Winters, Tim Henry added 18 points. Coric Riggs had 17 points for Weber State and David Patten added 12.
NOTES: Idaho State is now 4-3 in conference play when trailing at the half ... Slim Millien's eight blocked shots were his career-high and the second-most in school history ... ISU had a season-high 12 blocks ... Weber State was 13-for-14 from the free throw line ... Weber State ended their season at 10-17, and 4-10 in the Big Sky ... Weber State missed the conference tournament for the first time since 1981.
