OGDEN, Utah – Idaho State's six-game win streak was snapped Saturday afternoon as the Bengals fell to Weber State 50-43 at the Dee Events Center in Ogden, Utah. After leading 28-21 at half, ISU went ice-cold in the final 20 minutes shooting just 18.8 percent from the floor for 15 second-half points.
Sophomore guard
Grace Kenyon was the only Bengal to reach double-figures with 13 points and nine rebounds. Junior forward
Lindsay Brown collected a team- and season-high 10 rebounds to go along with five points and an assist.
Idaho State (8-6, 2-1 BSC) showed poise and control in the first half, handling Weber State's three-quarter court press while working the ball inside for 18 first-half points in the paint. With 6:12 left in the second quarter, ISU gained its largest lead of the game at 11, 22-11 after rattling off seven unanswered points over a 5:09 span. Weber State (8-6, 2-1 BSC) chipped away at the lead and cut it to five, 26-21 with 3:20 remaining, but ISU's Kenyon found the rim with 3:08 left for the easy two to give the Bengals a seven-point buffer. Neither team scored for the remainder of the half and the Bengals headed into the break with a 28-21 lead.
After the break, the Wildcats scored six unanswered points to cut Idaho State's lead to one, 27-28. A trey from sophomore guard
Isabel Vara de Rey at the 7:32 mark gave ISU a four-point lead, 31-27, but a three from WSU's Yarden Danan 10 seconds later cut ISU's lead to one once more. On the following possession, Kenyon was fouled and converted one-of-two at the line to put ISU up 32-30, but WSU's Emily Drake stepped to the line for two points to tie the game at 32-all with 6:14 remaining.
Weber State earned its first lead of the game on its next possession and continued to score six unanswered points for the 36-32 lead with 4:40 remaining in the third quarter. Idaho State never regained the lead in the third quarter but cut WSU's lead to one with 42 seconds remaining off a jumper from freshman forward
Irene Vicente. Both teams went scoreless in the final seconds to give WSU the 40-39 advantage heading into the final quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Idaho State struggled to connect as it shot 12.5 percent from the field for four points. The Bengals hit the boards hard and gained a 12-10 advantage in rebounds including four offensive boards, but they were unable to capitalize on the second chances. WSU's 10 fourth-quarter points gave it a 50-41 lead with 1:51 remaining, and a tip-in from sophomore guard
Saylair Grandon cut WSU's lead to seven, 50-43 and made it a three-possession game with 58 seconds remaining. However, Idaho State was unable to attempt a field goal in the final seconds to give WSU the 50-43 win.
"I thought our effort defensively was good," Head Coach
Seton Sobolewski said. "I thought our composure on offense was not there. We had a lot of great shots at the basket that we didn't put in…If we want to be a good team, we've got to learn to win on the road."
Weber State was led by Jocelyn Adams with a career-high 21 points to go along with eight rebounds. Danan also finished with eight boards to go along with 12 points.
Idaho State continues play on the road next week with games at Eastern Washington (Jan. 12) and at Idaho (Jan. 14).
NOTES
- Idaho State out-rebounded Weber State 47-40; this is the 13th time this season the Bengals have out-rebounded their opponent and the ninth time they have collected 40 or more rebounds.
- Grace Kenyon's 13 points mark the 11th time the sophomore has reached double-figures this season and the seventh-straight game.
- Idaho State's four fourth-quarter points is the lowest single-quarter scoring output by the Bengals this season.
- Weber State's 50-43 win marks the first time this season that Idaho State has lost when its opponent has scored less than 60 points. The Bengals drop to 7-1 in games where their opponent scores less than 60 points.
