Box Score
Box Score: Texas Tech 64 - Idaho State 52
LUBBOCK, Texas – Idaho State (2-2) gave the undefeated Texas Tech (3-0) a run for its money holding the Lady Raiders to 28.4 percent shooting from the field and just a six point lead with 7:11 remaining in the contest. Texas Tech found its stride with three treys and finally pulled away from the Bengals to overcome Idaho State 64-52 at the United Spirit Arena on Sunday afternoon.
“I'm disappointed we lost, but proud of our effort. Every single person made a contribution that was signification for us playing well. We felt like it was going to be a difficult game because they are so much bigger, but we executed the game plan well. We were very disciplined with our approach,” said Head Coach Seton Sobolewski.
The Bengals had stops on the first eight Texas Tech possessions. Senior guard Andrea Blodgett opened up the scoring with a fast break jump shot in the key. Texas Tech was held scoreless for the first 3:57 seconds before Monique Smalls made two free throws at the line.
Texas Tech did not lead by more than four points in the majority of the first half. Senior guard Chelsea Pickering hit a three-pointer with four minutes remaining to give Idaho State a one-point lead. However, the Lady Raiders responded with a 9-2 run to take a six point lead, 29-23, at the break.
“I think our players are capable of great things and today was just a snap shot of what we can see more from them in the future, that same type of effort, except hopefully with a win,” Sobolewski said with a smile.
Pickering led the Bengals with 15 points in 25 minutes. She hit 5-of-12 from the field, 3-of-4 from the arc and 2-2of from the line while recording six rebounds and two assists. Senior guard Andrea Blodgett chipped in eight points with a .500, 4-of-8, effort from the field.
The Bengals held Texas Tech to 26.3 percent shooting in the first half, ISU's second best first half defensive effort of the season, and 18.8 percent from the arc. Idaho State was steady throughout hitting 37.7 percent from the field and 35.7 percent from the arc.
Texas Tech relied on its three-point shooting in the second half hitting 7-of-17, 41.2 percent, to push beyond the Bengals stifling zone defense. Texas Tech's Casey Morris hit back-to-back three pointers to give the Lady Raiders their first double-figure lead of the game three minutes into the second half.
“We played zone specifically for this game. We're strictly a man-to-man team. We've played zone three or four times in the last few years,” said Sobolewski. “Me personally, I don't feel comfortable letting people shoot open outside shots and in zone, you have a tendency to move slower than the ball can be swung, but I think I would use it again if the match-up was warranted.”
Texas Tech's Morris hit 3-of-5 from the arc while teammate Mary Bokenkamp hit 4-of-5 in the second half. Bokenkamp put up a game-high five three pointers, hitting 5-of-8 from the arc for the contest to record a game-high 15 points. Morris followed with 12 points while Smalls chipped in 10.
Idaho State played all 11 players traveled switching in groups at a time to reduce minutes for all. One of ISU's rotating groups included four freshmen and a senior guard, who had seen limited play in her three seasons at ISU, held its own against Texas Tech.
The more inexperienced rotation of Sheryl Bitter, Cydney Horton, Jessica Jensen, Kara Jenkins and senior Kari Green posted a 7-0 scoring run in four minutes improving the Bengals score to within seven points of Texas Tech, down 39-32, with 12:19 remaining. The Bengals rolled its stellar effort into a 12-3 run reducing the Texas Tech lead to five points.
Idaho State held Texas Tech to a six point lead with 7:11 remaining in the second half before the Lady Raiders found their stride with a 16-5 run that included three three-pointers. Texas Tech's Teena Wickett hit 2-for-2 from the line to give her team its biggest lead of the night of 15 points with 54 seconds remaining.
Sophomore guard Kaela Oakes hit a jumper from the paint with two seconds remaining to end the contest. Oakes chipped in two of the Bengals 12 points from the paint in the second half. Idaho State outscored Texas Tech 20-to-12 in the paint for the contest.
Idaho State plays its second contest of its five game road streak in Texas on Tuesday, Nov. 23 at 6 p.m. MT at the Strahan Coliseum.
Notes: All 11 of Idaho State's travel roster played against Texas Tech, the first time all season the entire bench has competed in a single game … Every Bengal scored on the floor except its leading scorer Lindsey Reed … Shannon Byrne and Green scored their first points of the season with two … Byrne hit the floor for the first time this season, she played eight minutes.
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