Box Score GREELEY, Colo. –
Lindsey Reed scored 24 points to lead Idaho State to a 79-71 win over Northern Colorado, their fourth consecutive win and sixth in seven games.
The game started with a seesaw battle. ISU took the first lead when
Sheryl Bitter hit a 3-pointer with 19:14 left in the first half. UNC then took a 5-3 lead with consecutive baskets by Stephanie Lee before ISU tied the game at 5-5 on a layup by
Katrina Bacovcin.
After another Lee Bucket the Bengals trailed 7-5 but a jumper by
Alissa Willard with 16:04 remaining in the half tied the game and sparked a 12-0 Bengal run.
The Bears finally stemmed the Bengal run when Lee made a layup with 13:08 remaining in the half.
Northern Colorado chipped away at the lead and tied the game up at 22-22 on two free throws by Kim Lockridge with 8:05 left on the clock.
The Bears and Bengals swapped leads the remainder of the first half but ISU held a 33-31 lead at the break.
The seesaw battle continued early in the second half but
Jessica Tingey scored a layup with 14:41 to play to give ISU a 40-39 lead and the Bengals wouldn't trail again.
The Bengals led by 8 (47-39) before NC battle back to tie the game at 54-54 with 5:48 to play on two Lindsay Mallon Free throws.
ISU then slowly extended their advantage throughout the rest of the game for the 79-71 win.
Bitter scored 15 points, Jenkins scored, 13 points and Willard scored 10 to combine with Reed as the four Bengals that scored in double-figures.
Stephanie Lee scored 22 to lead Northern Colorado while Molly Duehn and Kyleigh Hiser scored 12 each for the Bears.
Jessica Tingey grabbed nine rebounds to lead ISU while Jamie Derrieux led UNC with five.
The Bengals sit in a tie with Sacramento State for third place in the Big Sky with a 7-4 record (9-11 overall). Northern Colorado sits in eighth place with a 5-7 record (11-10 overall).
The Bengals travel to League-Leader North Dakota to play a Saturday afternoon game. ISU lost to UND 48-47 in their first meeting.
The game will be at 2 p.m. central time, 1 p.m. mtn.
We Are Your Bengals
