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POCATELLO, Idaho- After being on the road for four straight games, the Idaho State women's basketball team returned home to Reed Gym to beat Sacramento State on Thursday evening, 65-63, thanks to Ashleigh Vella scoring the game-winning basket off an offensive rebound with 14 seconds left. Idaho State has won 11 straight home games.
Sacramento State had a chance to tie or win the game but a last second heave from inside half court didn't draw iron.
"I thought Sacramento State turned a new leaf in terms of their intensity and how hard they were playing and not necessarily because it was a close game,” Idaho State coach Seton Sobolewski said. “I think it was because they have been working hard. (Jasmine) Cannady was really tough to guard off the dribble. She was shooting pull-ups in our face all night.
"You've got to give your hats off to Sacramento State. You could tell by Sacramento State's reaction how much it meant to them. They had people crying. They are putting a lot of pressure on themselves to win and get it done."
Idaho State (12-7, 3-3) was led by Vella's 20 points and 11 rebounds, her second double-double effort of the season as well as the team's. Cydney Horton scored 10 points in 11 minutes off the bench.
"Cydney got in the game and finished around the basket,” Sobolewski said. “She did a great job and she's going to be a great player for us in the future."
The Bengals shot 43.8 percent from the field and out rebounded Sacramento State (3-17, 0-7) 39-35. The ISU defense forced 18 Hornet turnovers.
There were six ties and eight lead changes in the game. Idaho State led 63-59 with 2:03 to play in the game following a basket by Kara Jenkins. Sacramento State's Tika Koshiyama-Diaz followed with a basket to bring the Hornets within two points at 63-61.
Sacramento State tied the game at 63 with 41 seconds left on a jumper by Jasmine Cannady. The game-winning basket for the Bengals happened after Vella got the offensive rebound after a missed Chelsea Pickering 3-pointer.
"She did a nice job of recognizing what was going on and posting up on the miss-matches,” Sobolewski said. “She finished well tonight and had the offensive rebound put back to win the game."
The game was close the entire 40 minutes as no team had a lead bigger than six points. Idaho State's biggest lead was six points coming at 13-7 with 11:57 to play in the first half and 57-51 with 5:39 to play in the game.
Sacramento State led by as many as five points at 32-27 with 1:17 left in the first period. The last Hornet lead was 44-42 with 12:09 left in the contest.
Sacramento State's Jasmine Cannady scored 21 points while Koshiyama-Diaz had 18 points.
Idaho State returns to the court on Saturday at 2 p.m. when it plays host to Eastern Washington in Reed Gym.
--www.isubengals.com--
