Nov. 30, 2009
Final Stats
Wyoming Box Score 
Laramie, WY--Wyoming remained undefeated improving to 6-0 as Idaho State continued its run against undefeated high-caliber Division I opponents to open the season with the young Bengal squad struggling both offensively and defensively falling 76-40 at Arena Auditorium on Monday night. Idaho State was no match for the Cowgirls and fell to 1-5 for the season and 0-4 on the road.
"Wyoming is a solid team with experience players, they beat Montana by 30 [points] so it was a tough game for us," said Head Coach Seton Sobolewski. "We had stretches where we did very well defensively and then we had stretches where we had mental lapses and our effort fell off. We are still learning what it takes to play, effort wise, at the Division I level with a lot of the youngsters."
Idaho State struggled from the start of the first half as Wyoming held a 17-2 lead with 10:54 left holding ISU for scoreless for nearly six minutes. The Bengals fought back to a six-point deficit at 21-15 off a Brea Matthews three-pointer with 4:39 on the clock. However, the young Bengal team with six freshmen seeing significant time could not hold strong as they fell to 34-18 by the break.
The Bengals shot just 27.3 percent from the field while Wyoming hit 46.4 percent of their shots. The Cowgirls scored 14 points off of ISU's 10 turnovers in the first half alone. The Bengals accuracy did not improve shooting 28.6 percent for the game, but Wyoming's did hitting 15-of-26 in the second including five three-point shots for a 57.7 percent accuracy in the field during the second half. Wyoming shot 51.9 percent overall. ISU struggled from the arc as well hitting 27.3 percent for the game, 3-of-11, going 1-of-6 in the second half alone.
After the break Idaho State came out with six strong points contributed by Oana Iacovita and Ashleigh Vella and Chelsea Pickering. Then Hillary Carlson, a 6-3 forward, would hit a trey to reaffirm Wyoming's position which they would consistently build upon into the final minutes.
Carlson, a junior, would prove ISU's biggest threat as she scored 25 points, a season-high, hitting 9-of-11 from the field and 2-of-3 from the arc. She also put away 5-of-6 from the charity line. She accumulated four rebounds and two blocked shots as well. Wyoming's Aubrey Vandiver would also post double-figures in points posting 13 for the game, 10 of which she scored in the first half.
Iacovita, a senior, would lead the Bengals with nine points before fouling out with nearly five minutes remaining. She recorded 3-of-8 from the field and 3-of-4 from the line as well as two rebounds, an assist and a blocked shot. Freshman Vella would foul out with three-minutes remaining and was replaced by freshman Ashley Smith who did not buckled under pressure when she was fouled by Chaundra Sewell around the arc, for Wyoming's third foul in the second half.
Smith hit all three of her attempts with a 1:04 remaining. ISU was whistled with 21 fouls for the game, nine in the first half including a technical by Head Coach Sobolewski, his first of the season and fourth with Idaho State.
Wyoming struggled on the line hitting 12-of-23 for a meager 52.2 percent accuracy while Idaho State hit 9-of-11 for 81.8 percent. Idaho State reduced its turnovers to 17, a season low, but the Cowgirls still were able to capitalize scoring 26 points off the errors. ISU also recorded a team-high three blocks with Iacovita, Vella and freshman Matthews each contributing.
Idaho State's road won't get any easier as the team continues its busy week of tough opponents. ISU will play its second road match of four for the week when the Bengals head to Salt Lake City on Wednesday, December 2 to play Utah at the Jon M. Huntsman Center at 7:05 p.m. Utah has never been defeated by the Bengals, leading the series 26-0.
Notes: ISU's 76-40 loss ties for the 11th lowest scoring game by Idaho State ... Sophomore Pickering posted a game-high three offensive rebounds.
