Feb. 28, 2009
Final Stats
Complete Northern Arizona Box Score 
Pocatello, ID--Idaho State clinched a Big Sky tournament appearance with a 62-60 victory over Northern Arizona at the Rolle Activity Center in Flagstaff, Saturday evening. The Bengals redeemed themselves in the final minutes with offensive rebounds and relied on senior Jenna Brown whose drives to the basket kept the Bengals on top and earned her a game-high 21 points. Idaho State improves to 7-8 in conference play and a fourth place standing and are 10-18 for the season while Northern Arizona falls to 5-10 in the Big Sky for eighth place and post an 8-20 record for the season.
The Bengals fell to the Lumberjacks in the final minutes of their last meeting due to a lack of offensive rebounds, but ISU redeemed itself snatching their last two to maintain possession and run down a winding clock as the Bengals held a one-point lead with 26 seconds remaining. Though Idaho State trailed in offensive rebounds for the game, 16 to 11, it was the timing of the rebounds that handed them the game.
With thirty seconds remaining and the Bengals down by one at 59-60, Brown went to her signature move driving to the basket which earned her 13 points in the second half alone. As the Bengal hit the floor and drew the foul from Caty Huntington for the Lumberjack's fifth sending her to the bench, Brown's basket fell through the rim giving ISU a one point lead with a chance to make it three at the line.
Normally a solid team at the line, Idaho State struggled in the higher altitude of 7,000 feet, hitting 8-of-17 for 47.1 percent accuracy for the game, far below its 75.1 percent in conference play. With 26 seconds left Brown took her spot at the line, but could not convert her free throw. Junior Devin Diehl steppe up for the Bengals and pulled down the offensive rebound to maintain a crucial Bengal possession.
Head coach Seton Sobolewski called a timeout and when the Bengals returned to the floor Brown kept the ball alive, dribbling out the clock before drawing another foul, this time from Janelle Matthews who sent Brown to the line. Once again the shot would not fall in the basket, but this time senior Michelle Grohs pulled down the offensive rebound with five seconds left clinching the victory. As the Lumberjacks fouled Brown to stop the clock with 0.15 seconds left. The senior sank her free throw to bump the score up to 62-60 for good measure, then she intentionally missed her second free throw to run out the clock and seal her first victory at Northern Arizona over her career.
"Everyone needs a win and everyone is going to show up and play their best," said head coach Sobolewski about the close game. "People are playing hard and really defending. They are really digging in and to come in and win it's big. We had to win hustle plays tonight. We had to be composed and we had to not get caught up emotionally in the playoff race."
Idaho State began the contest under control shooting 56 percent in the first half as they were 14-of-25 from the field and could do no wrong as they slipped back door after back door past the Lumberjacks for wide open layups. Idaho State outscored NAU 20 to 16 in the paint in the first. Grohs led Idaho State in the first half scoring 12 points. The Bengals led 31-26 at the half.
In the second Northern Arizona kicked its inside game into gear as Hoisington and Tiffany Amos punished the Bengals under the basket scoring a combined 16 points between them. Amos scored nine points in the second half alone. NAU's overpowering in the low post dropped an ISU eight-point lead, reached twice in the second half, once in the first, to a back and forth matchup with 14 lead changes, five in the final seven minutes of play.
The Bengals had three players in double figures with Brown leading at 21 points, followed by Grohs with 19 and Oana Iacovita with 10 points. Devin Diehl chipped in seven points. Northern Arizona also had three players in double figures with Hoisington posting 14, seven in each half, followed by Amos with 13, and Katie Schafer with 11 points. Schafer earned nine of her points from the three-point field hitting 3-of-8. She also posted a game-high rebound effort of nine tied with Diehl. Diehl recorded four offensive rebounds, three crucial in the second half.
Idaho State will travel to Ogden to take on the Wildcats in their final season game against Weber State on Friday, March 6th at 7:05 p.m. before heading to either Portland State or Montana for the Big Sky Conference Tournament. Location of the tournament is held at the regular season champions' home and will be decided with the winner of the matchup on Saturday, March 7th at Missoula. Currently Portland State and Montana are tied for first place in the standing with 13-1 records. Montana State holds second with 7-7 while the Bengals hold fourth with 7-8. Portland State, Montana, Montana State and Idaho State have all clinched spots in the tournament.
Notes: Idaho State hit just 4-of-14 from the arc, 28.6 percent ... Iacovita, a forward, was the only Bengal to hit a trey in the first half ... Grohs posted the only person to record a block as she swatted away three during the contest ... Idaho State was outrebounded 38-32 ... Idaho State played with foul trouble throughout the second half ... Freshman Jeni Guertin fouled out at the 7:44 mark.
