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POCATELLO, Idaho – The Idaho State women's basketball team fell 72-55 at Washington State Friday evening at the Beasley Coliseum in Pullman, Wash.
"It sucks to lose this game, but it's interesting how our expectations have evolved," Head Coach
Seton Sobolewski said. Four years ago we lost by 50 here; now we play a Pac-12 team and expect to win."
Idaho State finished with three players in double figures, led by junior guard
Saylair Grandon and sophomore forward
Sai Tapasa with 12 apiece, while senior guard
Brooke Blair added 11.
Idaho State (5-2) kept it close to open the game as the first period featured three lead changes and four ties. With 8:04 remaining in the first quarter, the Bengals gained their largest lead of the period at four points, 6-2, but 4-0 Cougar run tied the game a 6-all 40 seconds later. This back-and-forth play continued for the entirety of the first period, and after the first ten minutes the game was tied 15-all.
In the second quarter, the Bengals finished 6-of-14 from the floor for 15 points, but a hot 66 percent shooting from Washington State (4-4) gave the Cougars a five-point edge heading into the break, 35-30.
In the second half, Idaho State nearly matched the Cougars, connecting for 10 field goals on 32 attempts to WSU's 11-of-29 performance from the field. The Bengals also nearly matched the Cougars on the boards, grabbing 20 to WSU's 22 rebounds. However, the difference in the second half came at the charity stripe as the Cougars made 13 trips, connecting for 10 free throws while Idaho State converted 2-of-4. The Cougars were also solid from long range, connecting on 5-of-8 attempts while the Bengals hit just 3-of-10 from beyond-the-arc.
The Bengals were within five points to start the fourth quarter and back-to-back ISU buckets brought the Bengals within one, 48-47, with 9:00 remaining. Yet Idaho State was unable to regain the lead as the Cougars capped a 10-4 run to gain a seven-point lead with 6:31 remaining. Washington State never relinquished its lead and held on for the 72-55 win.
"With 3:39 to go in the game, we were only down eight," Sobolewski said. "WSU hit some big shots, got four to five offensive rebound and we missed a couple right at the rim. That was the game."
Washington State was led by Borislava Hristova with a game-high 16 points while Louise Brown finished with a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Caila Hailey also finished in double-figures with 10.
Idaho State continues play on the road at Wyoming Sunday, Dec. 3 at 1 p.m. in Laramie, Wyo.
