Box Score
CHENEY, Wash. – For the first time since 2006, the Big Sky Conference Tournament will return to Pocatello as the Idaho State Bengals clinched sole ownership of the 2012 regular season conference title with a 63-50 win over Eastern Washington Saturday. ISU improves to 21-7 overall and 13-2 in conference play while EWU falls to 16-12 and 10-5 in Big Sky action.
“You have to have players with great character,” ISU Head Coach
Seton Sobolewski said. “It doesn't really matter what we as a coaching staff do. You have to put the right people together to achieve a Big Sky Championship.”
Idaho State was led in scoring by junior forward
Ashleigh Vella who scored 21 points, all in the second half, stemming from 11 straight points scored in three minutes. Vella also recorded six rebounds, five assists, two steals and one block in the contest.
“Scoring 21 points in a half is pretty amazing,” Sobolewski said. “That is probably one of the best offensive performances of her career. Vella did a fantastic job for us. She had a great half when we really needed it.”
“I came out in the second half and tried to be more aggressive and find my shot,” Vella said. “I was trying not to hesitate and take the shots when they were there. I was just reading what they gave me.”
Overall, the Bengals shot 43.4 percent from the field and an outstanding 64.3 percent from the trey as ISU hit 9-of-14 from 3-point distance. The performance is the best 3-point effort for the team this season. The Bengals forced EWU to turn the ball over 20 times. ISU held Eastern Washington to 30.6 percent shooting from the floor and 20 percent from the arc.
In the first half, the two teams traded baskets back and forth. Idaho State only shot 37.9 percent from the field but hit 5-of-7 from 3-point range for 71.4 percent shooting. ISU also committed 10 first-half turnovers and was outrebounded 19-17. However, an excellent defensive effort by sophomore guard
Lindsey Reed held EWU's top scorer, Brianne Ryan, scoreless in the half.
Idaho State came out on fire in the second half, turning a two-point halftime lead into an 11-point lead with 14:50 remaining in the game. The Bengals shot the lights out, hitting 12-of-24 from the field and 4-of-7 from the arc. The Bengals forced nine Eagle turnovers and recorded nine points off of turnovers.
Idaho State has now won 21 games this season, the second most games won in a single season in program history.
This is Idaho State's 14
th appearance in the Big Sky Conference Tournament and a program-best nine straight appearances. This is ISU's third regular season title as the Bengals took the title in 2001 and 2006. Idaho State has won the conference tournament twice, in 2001 and 2007.
“This is something you work for all season,” junior guard
Kaela Oakes said. “We really wanted to get this game on our own. We didn't want to be co-Big Sky Champions. It feels really good to go out there and win and earn the ring all by ourselves.”
The Bengals wrap up the regular season next Saturday with its second straight contest against Eastern Washington. It will be senior night at Reed Gym. Tipoff is slated for 2:05 p.m.
The conference tournament will take place in Pocatello, Idaho at Reed Gym on March 8-10. The tournament will be sponsored by Idaho Central Credit Union. All session tickets will go on sale to season ticket holders on Tuesday, Feb. 28 at the Holt Arena Ticket Office.
We Are Your Bengals
