March 10, 2006
Box Score
Pocatello, ID -- Weber State became the first fifth seed to ever advance to the championship game of the Big Sky Conference Women's Postseason Basketball Tournament by upsetting top-seeded Idaho State 71-70 in the tourney's second semi-final game.
The Wildcats (15-14) face number-three seed Northern Arizona in the championship game at 5:05 p.m. Saturday.
Laura Porter made the winning basket for Weber on a runner across the key with 10.6 seconds left. ISU had the last shot, but Andrea Lightfoot's 23-footer missed at the buzzer.
The Wildcats got a strong inside game from center Shantee Releford, who posted team highs of 18 points, 12 in the second half, and 10 rebounds. And Weber shot accurately from behind the arc, making nine of 14 treys, 64.3 percent. Chelsey Warburton scored 14 points, making four treys, and dealt out nine assists. Porter scored 13, Tashina Taylor 12, and Sara Tuomi nine, all on treys.
Idaho State (17-12) became the first number-one seed to lose in the tournament semi-finals despite outstanding performances from center Natalie Doma and forward Joanna Hixon. Doma had game highs of 27 points, 21 in the second half, and 12 rebounds, all on the defensive end. Joanna Hixon scored 20 points before fouling out in the closing seconds.
The Bengals used only seven players and lost one of them, starting forward Danica Boyce to an injury with 15:43 left in the game. Boyce took a charge from Tuomi and fell on the court. She lay still for two minutes before unsteadily leaving the court.
