Box Score
POCATELLO, Idaho – POCATELLO, Idaho – Six years ago
Seton Sobolewski came to Pocatello to interview for the women's basketball head coaching job at Idaho State University. He was trying to replace the winningest coach in ISU history, Jon Newlee.
After canceled flights he finally made it to Pocatello but his luggage didn't. He ended up buying a white shirt at Wal-Mart at 1 a.m. and borrowed a tie from
Jeff Tingey, the ISU Athletic Director that he was about to be interviewed by.
Six years later Tingey took the microphone after ISU's 82-72 win over Northern Arizona to present a game ball to Sobolewski and congratulate him on his 94th win, the most in program history.
"I've been very, very blessed to have some great players, some great assistant coaches and some great support from our administration," Sobolewski told a crowd of 936 after the game. "None of this little-bit of success that I have had would be possible without all of those things."
Sobolewski has led Idaho State to the Big Sky tournament each year of his tenure including 2012 when the Bengals won the championship to advance to the NCAA tournament. He has a career .543 winning percentage with the latest of the wins coming Saturday afternoon against his alma mater, Northern Arizona.
The Bengal team started the game on an 8-0 run on a layup by
Jessica Tingey and 3-pointers by
Rebecca Schrimpsher and
Lindsey Reed.
The Lumberjacks then went on a 12-2 run, capped off by a 3-pointer by Erikka Banks at the half-way point in the first half to give NAU the 12-10 lead.
The remainder of the half was a back-and-fourth battle. NAU held a 27-25 lead with 53 seconds remaining before
Alissa Willard scored five-straight points to close the half and give the Bengals a 30-27 lead at the break.
The five-point run for Willard was part of nine first half points for the senior. Her previous single-game career-high was seven.
Idaho State took a nine-point, 38-29, lead in the first two minutes of the second half on two Reed free throws. The Bengals made timely shots to hold the lead for the remainder of the second half.
The Lumberjack's cut the Bengal lead to 57-54 on a 3-pointer by Amanda Frost with 7:12 remaining in the half but just four seconds later Tingey answer with a layup and free throw to extend the ISU lead back to 60-54.
Five Bengals scored in double-figures led by Reed with 23 and Tingey with 19 points and 12 rebounds.
Sheryl Bitter scored a career-high 15 points for the Bengals as did Willard with 10. Schrimpsher scored 11 for ISU.
Banks led Northern Arizona with 27 points and Frost, the Big Sky's leading scorer, had 23 points for NAU. Brittani Lusain had nine points and a team-high six rebounds.
The Bengals have now won five of the last six games and move to 6-4 in Big Sky play and 8-11 overall. Northern Arizona in now 3-7 in Big Sky play and 6-12 overall.
Idaho State closes the first half of Big Sky play in a three-way tie for fourth with Sacramento State and Southern Utah.
Next week the Bengals travel to play Northern Colorado Thursday at 7 p.m. and Big Sky leader North Dakota Saturday at 1 p.m. mtn.
We Are Your Bengals
