Feb. 26, 2009
Final Stats
Complete Sacramento State Box Score 
Sacramento, CA--With a career-high from junior Oana Iacovita and a second half hot streak from senior Jenna Brown the Bengals defeated Sacramento State 70-64 to improve their 12 year winning streak to 26-0 at Colberg Court on Thursday evening. Idaho State improves to 6-8 in conference play to reclaim a fourth place standing in the Big Sky while Sacramento State falls to 5-9 to tie for seventh place with Northern Arizona.
Iacovita was on fire for the Bengals in the first half matching her career-high of 22 point at the :51 mark in the first. Iacovita would post a career-high 30 points hitting turnaround jumpers left-and-right as the forward was 10-of-13 from the field, 77 percent, in the first half as well as knocking down her only three pointer. Iacovita cooled in the second half as she was double and triple teamed posting just eight points. The 6-2 forward nearly recorded a double-double as she pulled down nine rebounds, two on offense.
The Bengals started off strong against Sacramento State taking an early lead then posted a 17-5 run capped by Iacovita's only trey of the night to take a 28-20 lead. However Sacramento State's Jasmine Cannady would lead the response hitting two treys during an unanswered eight point run to tie it up for the Hornets. That would be as close as they got as Iacovita would post nine of ISU's 11 points into the break as the Bengals posted a 39-35, four point lead at the half.
"Oana got a hot start and was able to hit her shots," said head coach Seton Sobolewski. "We were able to set things up for her and it really built her confidence."
Sacramento State's Cannady was perfect from the arc in the first half hitting all three of her attempts to help the Hornets post an 83.3 percent accuracy hitting 5-of-6 from three point territory. The Hornets fell to 18.2 percent in the second period hitting just 2-of-11 attempts for an overall accuracy of 41.2 percent. Cannady would post nine points for the game.
Idaho State shot 50 percent in the first half with just three Bengals scoring; Iacovita leading with 22 points, followed by Grohs with 10 and junior Devin Diehl with seven. In the second half the Bengals opened up the floor, this time with Brown stepping up to post all 14 of her points in the back half of the contest.
Brown began her hot second half off a deep trey close to the sideline to give ISU a 41-37 lead. The Bengals held a lead throughout the second half but couldn't pull away as the Hornet's Emily Christensen also turned it on in the second half matching Brown's 14 point second half to post 20 points over the contest, a career-high. Christensen punished Idaho State on the inside and was 8-of-15 from the field for 53.3 percent accuracy.
"Jenna picked up where Oana left off," said Sobolewski. "She hit some three's and had a few nice driving layups for us."
Christensen was the only Hornet in double-figures; however Sacramento State had two players in double-figures on the rebounding effort with Cannady and Erika Edwards each recording 10 rebounds. Sacramento State outrebounded the Bengals 41-30 and 16-7 on the offensive end alone. Sacramento State took the lead on the rebounding figure in the second half as ISU was down by one at the half 14-15.
The Bengals also capitalized on turnovers as Sacramento State committed 17 and the Bengals posted 21 points from the Hornet's mistakes. Sacramento State's bench was a contributing factor for its team as the Hornets posted 39 points from the bench while Idaho State's starters were the only Bengals to score. The Bengals had four players in double-figures with Iacovita leading at 30 points, followed by Brown with 14, Grohs with 13 and Diehl with 10 points. Freshman Sheila Adams chipped in three to round out the Bengals scoring.
Idaho State will be chanting "a win to get in" as the Bengals look to defeat Northern Arizona on the road as the victory would guarantee a spot for Idaho State in the Big Sky Conference Tournament.
"It's exciting because you have control, it's in your hands," said Sobolewski after receiving news that a win over Northern Arizona would get them into the Big Sky Tournament. "It's very motivating for the players to have that control."
Idaho State will take on the Lumberjacks at the Rolle Activity Center on Saturday, February 28th with tip-off at an unusual 7:05 p.m. start for a conference weekend game.
Notes: Grohs posted four blocks and added six rebounds ... Idaho State hit 70.6 percent from the line going 12-of-17 while the Hornets hit 50 percent reaching the line just six times ... Sacramento State applied back court pressure in the final four minutes against ISU but it did not affect the Bengals ... Idaho State's largest lead was by nine points with 1:41 seconds remaining in the second.
