Box Score
PORTLAND, Ore. – Idaho State defeated Portland State (13-11, 5-6 BSC) 70-59 Saturday at the Peter W. Stott Center. It is the first time ISU has defeated the Vikings in Portland since Feb. 16, 2006. Idaho State improves to 19-6 overall and 11-1 in Big Sky action.
“We were very consistent,” ISU Head Coach
Seton Sobolewski said. “That is the most consistent we have played for an entire 40 minutes since probably the last time we played Portland State. We played good defense in the second half and I felt very good about our offense. It was a well-rounded win for us.”
Sophomore forward
Cydney Horton recorded her second double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Horton also recorded two assists, one steal and three blocks. Horton now has 59 career blocks and is 10
th on the ISU all-time career blocks list, replacing Alison Verona who ended her career with 57.
“I think this is one of
Cydney Horton's best games of the year,” Sobolewski said. “She did an amazing job on the defensive side. If she didn't block the shot, she was changing it and coming over and helping people. She did a great job of getting in the offense's way. She's really developing. We needed someone to fill that role and she's producing and doing a great job.”
Junior guard
Kaela Oakes led the Bengals with 18 points. Oakes went 5-of-11 from the field and 3-of-4 from 3-point range. Oakes also knocked in five from the free throw line. Oakes added three assists, five rebounds and one steal in the contest.
The Bengals recorded one of the best shooting games of the season as the team went 24-of-56 for the game for a 42.9 shooting percentage. ISU outrebounded Portland State 41-26 and nabbed 15 offensive boards. ISU also shot 31.6 percent from the trey and an outstanding 88.9 percent from the free throw line. Idaho State recorded 18 assists in the game led by senior guard
Chelsea Pickering who notched five.
“That's one area of Chelsea's game that she is really developing,” Sobolewski said. “She's always been a good scorer but now she's finding open people and making great passes. That is making her even more difficult to defend because now you have someone who can hit the open person or hit the outside shot.”
Defensively, Idaho State held Portland State to a 35.3 shooting percentage and forced 14 Viking turnovers.
In the first half, Idaho State shot 43 percent from the field and 29 percent from three-point range. ISU had four 3-point shots from four different players and Horton led the Bengals with eight points, two blocked shots and four rebounds. The Bengals' defense held PSU to just 25 points in the half off a .360 shooting percentage. Idaho State maintained a nine-point lead heading into the locker room at the half with the score at 34-25.
The Vikings attempted to make a comeback off an 8-2 run early on in the second half but Idaho State stifled that effort with a 9-2 run of its own. Idaho State's defense then allowed Portland State to score just two points from the 8:46 mark to 4:26.
The Bengals will return to Pocatello next weekend for a match-up against Weber State. The Wildcats are currently 2-22 on the season and 0-11 in league action. The game is slated to begin at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
We Are Your Bengals
