Box Score PDF
CANCUN, Mexico – The Idaho State women's basketball team fell to James Madison 83-53 Thursday evening in the Triple Crown Sports Cancun Challenge. The Bengals held JMU's leading scorer Precious Hall to just 10 points on 4-of-11 shooting, but the Dukes dominated Idaho State inside and finished the game with a 30-8 edge in the paint.
Two players finished in double figures the Bengals, led by freshman guard
Estefania Ors with 12 points to go along with five rebounds. Senior forward
Freya Newton paced ISU with 11 points and eight rebounds for her first double-figure performance of the season.
"James Madison is a perennial mid-major power," Head Coach
Seton Sobolewski said. "They are very well-coached."
James Madison (3-2) took control early with seven unanswered points to start the game. An early trey from Newton put Idaho State (1-3) on the board, while sophomore guard
Saylair Grandon added a three and Ors followed it up with a layup to cut the Dukes' lead to two, 10-8. With 3:09 remaining in the first quarter, the Bengals trailed by two points but a 7-0 run by JMU put the Dukes up 19-10 heading into the second quarter.
The Bengals kept James Madison within striking distance and cut the lead to six, 24-18, following a trey from freshman guard
Bianca Thacker at the 5:02 mark, but nine second-quarter Bengal turnovers gave James Madison the edge. The Dukes scored seven of their 15 second-quarter points off turnovers and finished the half on 10-3 run to gain a 13-point advantage, 34-21, heading into the break.
Idaho State was unable to stop JMU in the third quarter as the Dukes outscored the Bengals 24-8 including a 10-0 advantage in the paint. A free throw from freshman forward
Sai Tapasa brought ISU within 14, 43-29, with 3:59 remaining, but the Dukes finished the quarter on a 15-0 run to claim a 58-29 lead heading into the fourth.
In the fourth quarter, the Bengals poured in 24 points in the final quarter, but 25 from the Dukes thwarted any late comeback attempt as ISU fell 83-53.
"Our problem tonight was that we let some early mistakes get to us," Sobolewski said. "We failed to keep a positive mental attitude."
Da'Lishia Griffin led the Dukes with a game-high 19 points with 11 a game-high 11 rebounds. Three other players finished in double figures for James Madison: Amber Porter with 12, Lexie Barrier with 10 and Precious Hall with 10.
Idaho State continues play in the Triple Crown Sports Cancun Challenge tomorrow, Friday Nov. 25, as they face Davidson at 2 p.m. MST.
NOTES
- Freshman guard Estefania Ors scored in double-figures for the fourth-straight game.
- This marked the first time in program history that Idaho State faced James Madison.
- The Bengals drop to 1-2 all-time in the Cancun Challenge.
