POCATELLO, Idaho – Idaho State (6-5, 1-1 BSC) women's basketball picked up its first Big Sky Conference win with a 63-48 victory over Eastern Washington (2-9, 1-1 BSC) Monday night to close out 2018. The Bengals led the game from start to finish by dominating the paint and shooting 50 percent or better in three of four quarters.
Grace Kenyon led Idaho State with 19 points after shooting 7-14 from the field and added five rebounds.
Saylair Grandon and
Estefania Ors also reached double figures, combining for 21 points and nine rebounds. Ors also led the team with four assists.
Sai Tapasa nearly became the second player to reach double-digit rebounds with nine boards on the night.
Delaney Moore missed just one shot, scoring six points and tallying three blocks.
The Bengals surged to a 9-0 lead in the first and used EWU turnovers to score seven points as they cruised to an 18-10 lead after 10 minutes of play. Idaho State missed just three shots in the second quarter, but stalled with 2:39 left in the half. The teams both scored 15 points in the second frame, and ISU took a 33-25 lead to the locker room.
Eastern Washington was not able to narrow the margin in the third as Idaho State outscored EWU 14-13. The Bengal defense prevented EWU from scoring for the final 4:06 of the quarter. ISU was even better in the fourth, limiting EWU to two field goals and rolling to a 63-48 win.
Idaho State shot 51.0 percent from the field and scored 28 of its 63 points in the paint while limiting EWU to eight in the key. The Bengals also dominated the boards, outrebounding the Eagles 34-21 and collecting 10 offensive rebounds.
Idaho State's passes led to baskets frequently with seven players collecting an assist. The Bengals had 16 overall held the advantage in blocks (4-3) and steals (6-4).
Eastern Washington committed 14 turnovers while forcing 16, but was limited to just eight assists. The Eagles shot 32.6 percent from the field, 36.8 percent from three and 61.1 percent from the free throw line.
Violet Kapri Morrow was the only Eastern Washington player in double figures with 21 points. She was disrupted by the Idaho State defense and committed six turnovers. Alissa Sealby finished with eight points and Leya DePriest led the team with six rebounds.
The Bengals finished up their home stand 4-1 and will now hit the road. Idaho State plays Southern Utah Thursday and Northern Arizona Saturday.
