March 6, 2009
Final Stats
Complete Weber State Box Score 
Ogden, UT-A dismal first half doomed the Bengals in its 74-60 loss to Weber State at the Dee Events Center Friday night. With nothing to lose as the Wildcats were playing its final regular season game having been eliminated from the Big Sky Conference tournament, the Cats would go out in style. Weber State shot 64 percent from the field, 50 percent from the arc and 100 percent from the line to post a 19 point lead at the half and making it too difficult for Idaho State to comeback.
The Bengals would perk up defensively in the second half, but it would not be enough. Weber State ends its season with a 5-11 record while Idaho State continues to hold fourth place going into the tournament as they fall to 7-9 in Big Sky games. The loss ended ISU's chance of attaining a third place seeding into the tournament.
Over the course of the game Weber State shot 52.7 percent from the field, 38.5 percent from the arc while Idaho State hit 31.7 percent from the field and 17.4 percent from the arc. Both teams posted three players in double-figures, but Weber State's Caitlin Anderson recorded the only double-double posting the game-high in points with 21 and rebounds with 13 boards.
Weber State was hot offensively throughout the game, but expressly so in the first half as they were hitting an incredible 64 percent from the field, 50 percent from the arc and 100 percent from the line to lead ISU by 19 points into the break. Idaho State allowed 45 points in the first half, the most this season. Idaho State struggled offensively as they could not buy a trey missing all nine attempts.
Idaho State started with junior Oana Iacovita scoring ISU's first eight points of the contest, but Weber State would not miss a single shot until just after the first media timeout putting the Wildcats up 11-8 at 14:39 mark.
The Bengals struggled to pull down rebounds going without a board until the 12:06 mark when freshman Sheila Adams had a defensive rebound. Weber State capitalized on the break in defense to record an early lead with a 14-4 run to post a 13 point lead at the seven minute mark.
Iacovita who recorded 13 points in the first half alone, 17 over the game, would break the Wildcat streak with a five point burst hitting two layups and a free throw. Weber State would continue to be hot as they pulled away from the Bengals led by Anderson as she posted 15 points in the first half hitting 7-of-9 from the field and her only trey attempt.
Idaho State would not convert a trey until senior Michelle Grohs hit the shot at the 14:08 mark. The Bengals would go nearly three minutes without scoring until Grohs hit the second three-point shot of the night at the 11:22 mark. Grohs would post 14 points during the contest. Senior Brown would record 16 points for the Bengals.
Though the Bengals would improve its defensive play Weber State would continue to thrive posting a 12-2 run capped by a Thorderson jumper putting the Wildcats up 66-40 at the 4:31 mark. Idaho State would respond with a 20-7 run of their own until the final seconds of play reducing Weber State's largest lead of 27 points at the 2:47 mark in the second half to 14 points at the conclusion of the contest.
The Bengals would outscore Weber State in the second 34-29 even though the team shot 28.6 percent to Weber State's 43.3 percent from the field. The Bengals would post 28.6 percent from both the field and the arc in the second half. Weber State would commit 22 turnovers which ISU posted 15 points off the advantage. Weber State outscored the Bengals 40-26 in the paint.
Idaho State clinched the fourth seed in the Big Sky Conference Tournament and will play on Thursday, March 12 at either Portland State or Montana depending on the outcome of its Saturday game in Missoula. Idaho State will play the number five seed at the tournament.
Notes: Weber State had senior night for lone senior Lacie Barnes ... Weber State was hitting as high as 68 percent cumulatively early in the second half ... Idaho State was outrebounded 47-28 with Iacovita leading the Bengals with six boards.
