POCATELLO, Idaho- When
Seton Sobolewski built his nonconference schedule for the 2014-15 season he did it with the intention of preparing his team for the start of Big Sky Conference play in January.
That first step took place Sunday at Washington State. Despite an 84-34 loss to WSU from the Pac-12 Conference, Sobolewski was able to see seven of his players take to the court for their first minutes as Division I basketball players.
"We got our new people some good minutes," Sobolewski said. "They will continue to get better. Our young team is going to keep taking steps toward improvement."
Idaho State shot 20 percent from the floor (12-for-60) while WSU was 31-for-74 (42 percent).
Grace Kenyon and
Anna Lee Policicchio each had six points to lead the Bengal scoring.
The Bengals committed 30 turnovers to 20 for the Cougars. Washington State led the entire game and 51-15 at halftime.
Lia Galdeira and Tia Presley led the Cougar scoring with 24 and 29 points, respectively.
"WSU's guard combination of Galdeira and Presley was impressive," Sobolewski said. "I haven't seen a lot of teams with two guards that good on the same team."
In the second half the Bengal defense held WSU to 33 percent shooting from the field. The Bengals also out rebounded the Cougars 28-27 in the second half.
"It was a much better second half for us," Sobolewski said. "We played them about even on the glass and held them to 33 percent shooting."
Idaho State returns to the court on November 18 for a 7 p.m. contest at Gonzaga. The Bengals play their home opener on November 24 at 2 p.m. vs. Northwest Nazarene.
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