Jan. 3, 2008
Final Stats
Pocatello, ID --- Idaho State University spread the offense around as five players scored between 13 and 10 points, and ISU shot .706 in the second half, including hitting their first 10 shots as the Bengals, who struggled through a brutal non-conference schedule, opened the Big Sky season with a 76-65 road win at Northern Colorado, and suddenly find themselves sitting atop the Big Sky Conference standings.
Idaho State's (4-10, 1-0 Big Sky) solid shooting was a bit of a surprise, as the entered the game shooting just .407 from the field, but the Bengals scorched the Butler-Hancock Pavilion nets to the tune of .600 for the game (27 for 45). The Bengals hit their first eight shots of the second half and they were 12 for 17 in the second half overall, a .706 mark.
Idaho State and Northern Colorado (6-8, 1-2 Big Sky) saw the lead swap hands five times with seven ties in the first 11:57 of the first half, but Donnie Carson, who would go on the hit a career-high 10 points, gave ISU the lead for good with a driving layup with 7:02 left in the half. After Thanasi Panagiotakopoulos cut the lead to 30-29 on a long three, ISU got three straight baskets by Amorrow Morgan, Logan Kinghorn, and Carson to make it a seven-point lead, which ISU took into the break.
It was ISU's start to the second half that told the story however, as the Bengals literally couldn't miss, hitting their first 10 shots of the second half. It started with a hook by Lucas Steijn making it 41-32, and it continued through the seventh made basket, a long three by Austin Kilpatrick, and the eighth, a layup by Matt Stucki that gave ISU their biggest lead of the game at 57-38 with 13:45 left.
The Bears never faltered, but a free throw parade halted much of the action, as ISU hit 18 of 26 for the game, and UNC hit 23 of 31. Idaho State didn't miss a shot until there was just 7:44 left in the game. Counting the end of the first half, Idaho State connected on 16 consecutive field goal attempts, and they went 18:52 without a missed field goal.
"We were rebounding early, we shot the ball well early, and then we go 10-for-10 to start the second half," said Joe O'Brien after the game. "We talked about being up seven at half and wanting to really come out of the blocks in the second half to that first media timeout, and that's what we did."
"We had balance again, everyone that played scored, and we had five guys in double figures. I think when you have that kind of scoring distribution, it's hard to stop a team consistently," he added.
The Bengals, who have won their conference opener on the road in both of O'Brien's seasons at Idaho State, were led by Kinghorn and Morgan, who both scored 13. Carson, Stucki, and Monroe all added 10 for the Bengals, who outrebounded the Bears 31-30, led by Monroe's eight. The Bears had just one player in double-figures, with Jabril Banks scoring 16, going 10-of-12 from the free throw line.
"This is a bright group of kids, and they get it," said O'Brien. "That non-conference schedule was tough, but there were definitely times tonight where that schedule and those situations helped us get through things tonight."
The Bengals now have an odd scheduling quirk, as they are off for the weekend, and they don't play again until next Thursday when they open their home conference schedule against Eastern Washington at 7:05 pm in Holt Arena.
NOTES: The Bengals are now 5-4 in conference road games under O'Brien ... Logan Kinghorn, ISU's leading free throw shooter, went 9-for-10 to improve to .842 on the season ... ISU hit 4-of-8 from three-point range ... The Bengals are now 4-0 when scoring 70 or more this season, and 4-0 when outrebounding their opponents ... take away ISU's 16-for-16 stretch from the field and they were 11-for-29.
