Nov. 25, 2008
Final Stats
Pocatello, ID --- It looked all too familiar to anyone on the Idaho State bench, as the Bengals played a third straight overtime, and a second-straight double overtime game, and again they came out on the short end of the stick, losing 88-82 to Long Beach State.
The Bengals tied the school record for consecutive overtime games played, as the Bengals played three straight overtime games against Northern Arizona, Montana, and Montana State from February 10-17, 2001. Idaho State has played back-to-back multiple overtime games just once, losing double overtime games to Montana State and Louisville January 10 and 13, 1976.
The Bengals never looked like they would even get to overtime in the first half as Long Beach State bolted to a 30-15 lead, paced by a 6-of-7 three-point start by Stephan Gilling, but ISU fought all the way back to tie it at the half. The Bengals then led by as much as six in the second half before Long Beach battled back. Tied at 61, Matt Stucki hit Devidias Busma underneath for a wide open layup with 36.7 left to give the Bengals a 63-61 lead, but Stucki fouled out hitting Donovan Morris, who hit both of his shots with 24.2 left to tie it. ISU couldn't get a shot down at the end of regulation, and it was off to overtime again.
In the first OT, no one led by more than two. After a fluke basket by Long Beach State when Donnie Carson stole a ball, rolled over and threw it right to Casper Ware underneath the basket for an easy layup making it 69-67, Amorrow Morgan hit one of two free throws with 1:20 left, and then Busma hit one of two with 1:02 left to tie it. Long Beach State then got two shots to tie after a miss and a turnover, and it was time for a second overtime, and that was when Donovan Morris took over.
Morris, LBSU's leading scorer, hit a long two and then a big three to open the second extra session, and quickly it was 74-69. The Bengals got the game down to four at 78-74 after a Morgan basket with 2:26 left, but Long Beach hit plenty of free throws down the stretch, including a 14-for-16 night by Morris as he scored 14 points in the extra sessions. The 49ers took advantage of ISU's overtime miscues, outscoring the Bengals 7-0 on points off turnovers over the final 10 minutes.
The loss overshadowed more superb performances, including Busma's first career double-double, scoring 20 points on 8-of-9 shooting, hitting his first eight shots, and adding 11 rebounds in his first start. Demetrius Monroe had 13 points and a career-high 14 rebounds for his fourth straight double-double, and Matt Stucki added 10. For LBSU, Morris had 24, and Gilling had 18, although they all came in the first 11 minutes of the game. Casper Ware added 15 and Larry Anderson added 10. ISU outrebounded the 49ers 46-36.
The Bengals will now face perhaps their toughest test of the season, as they host Brigham Young for only the second time in the last 50 years in Pocatello on Saturday night at 7:05 pm in Holt Arena. Tickets are still available, and the ISU ticket office is open from 8:30 to 4:30 on Wednesday, and then tickets can be purchased online Thursday and Friday. Ticket prices at the door on Saturday are $20 instead of the regular $15.
NOTES: The NCAA record for consecutive overtime games is four, last by Dayton in 1988 ... Idaho State dropped to 1-10 in the O'Brien era in overtime ... Amorrow Morgan has scored 20 or more in three straight games ... each team had two players foul out ... ISU and LBSU played to an overtime last year as well, with the Bengals losing 66-61 at the Pyramid.
