Dec. 27, 2008
Final Stats
Reno, NV --- Lady luck usually resides in Nevada, and such was the case in Reno, as the Nevada Wolf Pack withstood a furious second half charge, holding on after ISU twice tied the game in the final five minutes for a 68-63 win that dropped ISU to 2-10 with one game left before heading into Big Sky play on New Year's Day against Northern Colorado.
Idaho State was again stellar defensively, holding the Wolf Pack to just .375 shooting from the field, but in the first half the story was the offensive glass as Nevada used 10 offensive rebounds for 10 points in building a 32-23 lead after leading by as much as 13 in the half. In the second half, it was a similar story as many of ISU's games, as Nevada took 24 field goal attempts, and a shocking 24 free throws as well, hitting 15 of those, making just enough to outdistance themselves from ISU, but not enough to put ISU away.
Down by 10 in the second half, Amorrow Morgan hit back to back driving layups to pull ISU to within 45-39, and then Demetrius Monroe hit a short hook to make it four and force a Nevada timeout. After Chron Tatum cut it to three, Morgan hit another spinner in the lane, and then the free throw to cap a 19-point night for him, and it was tied at 52 with 5:47 left.
Nevada's Brandon Fields hit two free throws, but Kal Bay responded in kind to tie it against at 54, but Fields again hit two more free throws during Nevada's second half free throw parade to give the Pack the lead for good. Malik Cook pushed the lead to four when his follow dunk that looked to be in the cylinder was allowed, much to the protests of the ISU coaching staff. Austin Kilpatrick hit one free throw to cut the lead to 56-53.
Monroe hit a short jumper with two minutes left to make it 60-57, but Uber-freshman Luke Babbitt, who hit a very quiet 16 points, hit an athletic jumper for a 62-57 lead. Chron Tatum, who scored a season-high 15, hit a three-point play with 1:06 to go to make it 62-60, but Babbitt answered with another tough shot with 51.0 left, and Morgan tried to drive for a quick two but lost the handle.
Any last comeback hopes were dashed when Stucki and Bay both missed late threes with ISU down five.
"I liked my basketball team a lot better in the second half," said Joe O'Brien. "We can be our own worst enemy at times...in the first half we had nine turnovers and gave them 10 offensive rebounds. The good thing is the kids didn't quit, and that effort will translate here in Big Sky play."
Morgan's 19 was his best game since getting 20 against Long Beach State, and Tatum's was his best since getting 20 last year at Brigham Young. ISU shot the ball well, shooting .451, but they were outrebounded 37-30, including 15-7 on the offensive glass, which accounted for Nevada's 16 second chance points. Babbitt's 16 lead Nevada, and Cooke added 15, with Fields chipping in 12. Matt Stucki and Monroe both tied for the team lead with six rebounds.
NOTES: The Bengals played much of the game without a center, going with two forwards for most of the second half ... ISU was just 1-of-9 from three-point range ... Nevada shot 35 free throws to ISU's 20.
