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OREM, Utah – Four Bengals scored in double digits Saturday as Utah Valley (1-1) handed Idaho State (2-2) a 68-59 loss at the UCCU Center. Junior forward
Jessa Jeppesen led ISU for the second straight time this season with 17 points. Jeppesen was just one rebound shy of a double-double, notching nine rebounds as well as two blocks. She shot 6-14 from the field and 5-6 from the line in 24 minutes of play.
“Another good, good performance from
Jessa Jeppesen,” ISU Head Coach
Seton Sobolewski said. “It was a nice, solid performance and she really put forth the effort.”
Junior forward
Ashleigh Vella scored 12 points in the contest and came down with six rebounds while junior guard
Kaela Oakes and sophomore guard
Lindsey Reed both notched 11 points.
The Bengals had an off night offensively, connecting with just 19-61 (31.1 percent) from the floor and 3-22 (13.6 percent) from the arc. ISU remained strong at the free throw line shooting 18-25 (72 percent).
The Bengals were just 9-33 (27.3 percent) from the field in the second half.
“All of our problems tonight were mental,” ISU Head Coach
Seton Sobolewski said. “One, you come off of a big win against Boise State, you ride a little high and it's hard to refocus. Then to take someone that is a team that you know isn't as good as the team you just beat it's hard to stay focused and play hard in that game.”
Idaho State finished with 37 total rebounds, nine assists, nine steals, six blocks and 19 turnovers in the contest while Utah Valley recorded 43 rebounds, 16 assists, four blocks and seven steals. Idaho State forced 19 UVU turnovers.
“It wasn't like we were playing a team that was pressuring and trapping,” Sobolewski said. “We had 19 turnovers from just our own mental errors. I look at the assist column and see that we have just nine assists which isn't very good. That shows me that there isn't much ball movement and that we're not finding open people.”
The Wolverines connected with 21-of-51 from the field and just 1-of-9 from the three-point line. UVU came down with 15 offensive boards while ISU had 18.
In the first half, Idaho State garnered a seven-point lead at the 13:13 mark off a three-point basket from sophomore guard
Kara Jenkins. ISU held the lead until UVU went on a 4-0 run at 8:08 and then made a pair of free throws at the 6:00 mark to narrow the lead to one at 21-20. Jeppesen then made two free throws and a layup off an assist from Oakes to bring ISU up five at 25-20. UVU shot a quick three and Sammie Jensen connected on a jumper to tie it up at 25-25. With just over a minute remaining in the half, UVU's Jenna Johnson hit a jumper to put the Wolverines up 31-29 but ISU answered back as Oakes hit a layup in the final seconds to even the score at halftime 31-31.
ISU continued to struggle in the second half as UVU jumped out to a four-point lead early in the half. ISU tied it back up a 47-47 at the 7:51 mark and again at 51-51 at the 4:39 mark off a Vella layup. Utah Valley then went on a 14-0 run that the Bengals just couldn't recover from leading to a 68-59 final.
Idaho State returns to the floor Thursday, Nov. 24 in the first game of the Cancun Challenge Tournament. The Bengals face Chattanooga in the first round of the tournament at 9 a.m. MST. Idaho State then plays Tulane in the second day of the tournament Friday, Nov. 25 at 10 a.m.
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