Box Score
POCATELLO, Idaho- The Idaho State men's basketball team defeated last year's Big Sky Conference champions on the road in Greeley, Colo., 57-55. It is the Bengals first road win of the season as they upped their record to 3-10 and 1-1 in Big Sky play.
“For some reason we came out flat but we just kept grinding away and we were able to get ourselves back in the game and finish it off,” Idaho State Interim Head Coach Deane Martin said. “If you can just stay in games and keep grinding away you will have a chance to win games.”
The difference in Monday night's win was that ISU forced 17 turnovers and committed only seven. The 17 Bears turnovers resulted in 22 points for the Bengals.
“You can win a lot of games only turning the ball over seven times,” Martin said. “Our defense has gotten a lot better and the guys are really doing a better job.”
Chase Grabau led the Idaho State attack with 18 points while playing the entire 40 minutes. He also added six assists, three rebounds, one block and one steal to the stat sheet.
“Chase has been great,” Martin said. “He is doing everything right and he keeps the guys organized. I was even more pleased with how he defended.”
Kenny McGowen had 16 points and
Melvin Morgan added 11 in the victory. But for the Bengal coaching staff it was the defensive effort of the three Bengal guards that pleased them the most.
“Those guys defended really well and that won the game for us,” Martin said.
For the game, Idaho State shot 47.8 percent from the field while Northern Colorado shot 50 percent. The Bears out rebounded ISU, 29-18.
Abner Moreira had a team-best four rebounds.
The Bengals fell behind early in the game as they trailed 11-2 in the first four minutes and 23-16 with 7:53 to play in the first half. ISU then closed out the first half on a 12-3 run to take a 28-26 lead at halftime thanks to a
Sherrod Baldwin jumper with 48 seconds left in the period.
McGowen gave Idaho State its first lead of the game at 26-23 on a 3-pointer with 2:43 remaining in the first half.
Northern Colorado came out in the second half and jumped out to a 33-28 lead in the first two minutes and the Bears maintained a slim lead until two straight dunks by Moreira helped ISU regain the lead at 41-40 with 11:35 remaining.
Idaho State led by as many as six points at 51-45 after a Morgan jumper with 6:38 left. Northern Colorado did come back to tie the game at 51 and 53 but two free throws by Grabau and a basket by Morgan with 57 seconds remaining gave Idaho State a 57-53 lead.
“Melvin stepped up and made some big plays,” Martin said. “He has some real crafty ways of getting to the basket.”
Northern Colorado did have a chance to tie or take the lead at the end of a missed attempt and another turnover doomed the Bears.
Idaho State returns home for a 7 p.m. contest on January 5 at ICCU Court in Holt Arena against Montana State. The game will be broadcast live on 930 AM and seen live on Altitude Television.
