Feb. 7, 2008
Final Stats
Pocatello, ID --- Idaho State had a chance to still all alone in second place, but apparently, Northern Colorado didn't get that memo. The Bears had their backs against the wall and played like it, outhustling the Bengals to the tune of a 76-66 win, keeping the Bears in the hunt for a conference tournament berth, and dropping Idaho State into a tie for third place with Northern Arizona.
The Bengals (9-14, 6-4) seemed sluggish throughout, leading just twice, both by a point and the final time at 14-13 barely eight minutes in. However, Northern Colorado (10-14, 4-7) consistently scored in the paint and made ISU pay from the free throw line, going 24-for-29 overall.
After Logan Kinghorn gave ISU a 14-13 lead on an and-one, Will Figures jumped up and hit a three to take the lead away for good, sparking an 11-1 run that pushed the Bears up by nine, but ISU clawed their way back, getting a putback at the halftime buzzer for the second straight game from Demetrius Monroe to only go down 30-27 at the break.
Matt Stucki, who earlier in the day was named Academic All-District, was forced from the ballgame after getting caught with an inadvertent elbow, suffering a nasty gash above his left eye that forced him out for six minutes, needing four stitches and a new contact as well. While he was out, the Bengals tied it on a deep three by Austin Kilpatrick, but Northern Colorado got a dunk to take the lead right back, and then on the ensuing free throw, the Bears got the rebound and kicked it out for a three by Sean Taibi for a five point lead.
The lead got to eight before Stucki came back in, and ISU quickly cut the lead down to two. The Bears however got another dagger three from Taibi for a five point lead. Kinghorn then got called for an offensive foul, and Joe O'Brien got slapped with a technical foul for being out of the box, although the media timeout had commenced. That led to two more free throws and another three-pointe, this by Devon Beitzel, and just like that the Bears led by 10, and ISU would have no answer.
The Bengals struggled to get going, a fact not lost on head coach Joe O'Brien. "We had people that repeatedly throughout had chances to attack them, but no one wanted to play and be aggressive," he said. "I don't want to take anything away from Tad's group, because they played hard and forced the issue a little."
O'Brien noted the total flip-flop from the first meeting, a 76-65 Bengal win in Greeley a month ago. "You know what this was? It was a role reversal. They were us, and if you look at the stat sheet from the first meeting, it's pretty much a reversal. They knew they had to win to stay with a chance for the conference tournament and they played like it."
The Bengals very quietly got a 20-point night, a career-high, from Donnie Carson, but Carson took little solace with his efforts. "I don't care if I score 50, if we lose then it doesn't matter. Give me the win any day."
In reality, while Carson led all scorers, the night belonged to Jabril Banks, who scored 13 points, but had three vicious dunks that set the tone for the Bears. Taibi led the Bears with 16, Will Figures had 14, Taylor Montgomery had 12, and Jefferson Mason added 11. The triumvirate of Mason, Taibi, and Figures combined for a 21-for-21 performance from the line.
For the Bengals, along with Carson's 20, Amorrow Morgan had 11 and Lucas Steijn had 10. Matt Stucki, ISU's leading scorer, had just three points, those coming on a three in the final minute.
Now, the Bengals have to regroup for a very difficult road swing where they will take on first place Portland State on Valentine's Day, and then Eastern Washington, who still are battling for a conference tournament berth.
Notes: The win for the Bears in Pocatello ended a 14-game ISU winning streak that stretched back to 1950 ... Stucki did have seven assists. Stucki this season has now broken a tooth twice to go along with getting four stitches in a game ... Austin Kilpatrick registered four blocked shots, but ISU had just three steals.
