Box Score
LOGAN, Utah- The Idaho State men's basketball team led Western Michigan for the first 25 minutes but solid rebounding by Broncos propelled them to a 63-60 victory in the final game of the World Vision Invitational on Thursday evening at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. The loss dropped ISU to 4-8 while Western Michigan improved to 6-6.
Deividas Busma led the Bengals with 16 points and a career-high 14 rebounds. Broderick Gilchrest scored 13 points.
Idaho State shot 33.9 percent from the field while Western Michigan shot 35.6 percent. The Broncos out rebounded Idaho State 45-42 but WMU had 14 offensive rebounds in the second half and 19 for the game.
“I felt like we played good defense tonight,” Idaho State coach Joe O'Brien said. “This wasn't a game where the difference was guys making jump shots. It was a game about defensive rebounding. We gave up 14 offensive rebounds just in the second half. That doesn't win ball games. This game was about the fundamentals of boxing out and rebounding and we didn't do that.”
Idaho State led the entire first half and by as many as nine points. The Bengals jumped out to a 12-4 lead five minutes into the game after a layup by Busma. Western Michigan then cut the lead to 14-11 with 9:54 left until halftime. That is when the Bengals scored the next six points to lead 20-11 a minute later after two baskets by Mike Lacey and one by Kenny McGowen.
Idaho State led 26-17 with 4:33 to play in the period before Western Michigan closed out the half on an 11-3 run to cut the Bengal lead to 29-28 at halftime.
Western Michigan took its first lead of the game at 36-35 with 15:49 to play in the contest. ISU retook the lead briefly at 48-46 after a 3-point play by Chase Grabau with 8:44 to play. The Bengals were then held scoreless for the next three minutes and Western Michigan took the lead for good at 53-48 with 5:30 to play.
“I felt like we didn't come out and play very well in the second half and Western Michigan gained a lot of confidence,” O'Brien said.
Idaho State returns to the court on Dec. 31 against Sacramento State at 2 p.m. in Holt Arena. The game will be the first contest on the new Idaho Central Credit Union Court. Dec. 31 begins a promotion where fans can see three basketball games for $10 while ticket supplies last. The women play at Reed Gym on Jan. 1 at 2 p.m. and the men return to Holt Arena on Jan. 2 for a 2 p.m. contest against Portland State. All tickets for the men's games for this ticket promotion is behind the West basket next to the team bench.
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