Feb. 9, 2006
Box Score
Pocatello, ID--Natalie Doma scored a game-high 26 points and Andrea Lightfoot added 23 as Idaho State defeated league-leading Northern Arizona 84-71 Thursday night at Reed Gym. With the win, Idaho State moves to 11-11 overall, 5-3 in the Big Sky. NAU falls to 16-7 overall, 6-2 in league play.
"This one feels good," said ISU head coach Jon Newlee. "We bounced back from our loss last Saturday in Missoula in a big way tonight. We really defended well and that was the difference in the game."
With Northern Arizona leading 67-66 lead with under four minutes to play, Idaho State's Danica Boyce connected on a shot as she was fouled, sparking a 9-0 Bengal run to give ISU a 76-68 lead with two minutes remaining. NAU guard Kim Winkfield countered the Idaho State attack with a shot from beyond the arc to cut the Bengal lead to five points, 76-71, but Idaho State closed out the game with an 8-0 run to secure the win.
"We stayed composed over those last four minutes," Newlee said. "We got good looks and made the stops. Boyce's shot out of the media timeout gave us the boost we needed, and we used that momentum to finish out the game."
Senior forward Chelsey Chambers returned to the Bengal line-up after suffering a torn ACL against South Dakota State on Jan. 2. Chambers entered the game midway through the second half to a standing ovation by the Reed Gym crowd.
"The crowd's response was great," Newlee said. "It gave me goose bumps. They recognized her for the rehab and hard work that she has put in to get back into the lineup. She gave everyone a lift, and gave Danica (Boyce) a nice rest."
Doma netted a team-best 26 points on 10-of-21 shooting from the field, including a perfect 6-of-6 effort from the free throw line. She also grabbed 14 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season.
Lightfoot connected on 6-of-14 shots from the field, and was 2-of-2 from beyond the arc. The sophomore guard also recorded a perfect 9-of-9 clip from the charity stripe. She also collected five rebounds, four steals, and an assist in 40 minutes of play.
"Lightfoot does such a great job of not only getting her shots, but distributing the ball," Newlee said. "She makes smart decisions. She hit some big shots for us, but also created some big shots for us."
Boyce and Joanna Hixon also reached double digits with 17 and 14 points, respectively. Jeni Boesel rounded out the scoring with four points off the bench.
Idaho State out-rebounded the Lumberjacks 40-36 while out-scoring NAU 34-30 in the paint. The Bengals used 16 offensive boards to tally 19 second chance points. ISU was impressive from the field, connecting on 42.6 percent of its shots, including a 62.5 percent clip (5-of-8) from long range.
ISU continues league play Saturday when the team hosts Sacramento State (8-12, 3-5) at Reed Gym. Tip-off is set for 2:05 p.m.
