Feb. 21, 2008
Final Stats
Pocatello, ID --- Idaho State turned in a defensive effort that bordered on brilliant, holding the league's highest scoring team to 25 points below their season average, and ISU got a double-double from Logan Kinghorn and a 21-point effort from Matt Stucki to take down Montana State 64-49 in a raucous Holt Arena, putting the Bengals on the verge of clinching a conference tournament berth, and moving ISU into a fourth place tie.
Idaho State (10-16, 7-6 Big Sky) also got a key 12-point night from Donnie Carson, who rebounded from a scoreless weekend in the Northwest where he was ill for both games. Montana State (15-11, 7-6 Big Sky) entered the game averaging 74.6 points per game, but could only muster 49, and boy did they have to work for those.
Early on it looked like ISU wasn't playing much defense at all as the Bobcats bolted out to a 9-3 lead, hitting their first four shots. They were still shooting great at 8-for-16 (.500) at the 5:43 mark of the first half, but ISU led 19-18, thanks to a tremendous job on the glass, as the Bengals outrebounded Montana State 44-29, and the Bengals corralled 17 offensive boards, 12 in the first half.
However, MSU finished the half just 1-for-6, and then went just 7-for-28 in the second half. Compounding the problem, after a three-pointer from Casey Durham on an out-of-bounds play at the 17:38 mark, MSU went 10:41 without a field goal until Divaldo Mbunga scored with just 6:57 to go.
Idaho State didn't shoot very well either, hitting just .370 from the field and .375 from three, but 17 second chance points aided ISU's cause. "Those offensive rebounds were big for us, because sometimes it took a second and a third chance to score," said Logan Kinghorn, who recorded a 13-point, 13-rebound double-double. However, it was the defense that saved the day, as MSU's 49 points were the second fewest scored against ISU in the past 52 seasons, and the past 115 games, behind only the 11 scored in a 1977 slow-down 31-11 ISU win prior to the institution of the shot clock.
While the win felt good for the players, it was especially gratifying for Carson, who scored no points last weekend. It wasn't his offense he was proud of though. "I don't know what coach would have done had we lost another one in a row...he might have had to invent some new curse words," he said, bringing the media room to laughter.
"That is probably since I've been here the most satisfying win," said head coach Joe O'Brien. "Because we did it the way we practice and preach, by playing defense, hustling for the ball, and being smart. This is a bright team...we have over a 3.00 grade point average. We have our limitations, but we are smart."
Lucas Steijn scored nine points early for ISU, and his seven first half rebounds were important as ISU opened a 29-23 halftime lead. For the Bobcats, Mbunga led the team with 12 points, and Carlos Taylor, the league's leading scorer, went just 2-for-11 and scored only 11 points.
The Bengals with the win, coupled with Weber State's win over Montana, means the Bengals will clinch a conference tournament berth with a win on Sunday over Montana in what is the final regular season home game for ISU's two seniors Logan Kinghorn and Corey O'Brien. Idaho State has basically every option available to them, and could finish anywhere from a #2 seed to out of the tournament. The game against Montana will be broadcast on Altitude Sports.
NOTES: Tom Taylor played nine minutes ... Mbunga blocked four shots for MSU, as they had six total to ISU's three ... ISU was 18-for-22 from the line (.818) ... MSU entered the game as one of the league's top shooting teams, but was just .320 from the field and .182 from the three ... ISU and MSU have split their meetings the last two years.
