OGDEN, Utah – Idaho State tallied its fourth-straight win with a 70-57 victory over Weber State Thursday night. The Bengals improved to 9-5 overall and 4-1 in Big Sky play while the Wildcats fell to 3-12 with an 0-5 mark in conference play.
Four players reached double figures with
Estefania Ors leading the way with 23 points.
Saylair Grandon followed with 18 points and five rebounds while
Grace Kenyon and
Sai Tapasa combined for 21 points and 18 boards.
Delaney Moore also had a productive night off the bench with six points, five rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals.
"She's been great," said Head Coach
Seton Sobolewski. "What Delaney's good at, obviously she's really smart and she's got toughness to her and she's got athleticism, but Delaney's good at mastering just a few things…she doesn't spread herself thin and she gets really good at a few things."
Idaho State shot 42.1 percent from the field while limiting Weber State to 32.2 percent. After not making a three-pointer against NAU, the Bengals netted six long balls for a 42.9 percent conversion rate. Meanwhile, Weber State made just five of 21 attempts from downtown.
The Bengals moved the ball well against WSU's defense with seven of ISU's nine players tallying an assist for a combined 19 in the game. They committed two fewer turnovers than Weber State and held the advantage in blocks (5-2) and steals (6-4).
The game was a tight affair in the first quarter with four lead changes and four ties resulting in an 18-18 game at the first break. With four minutes remaining in the half, ISU held a slim 30-27 advantage. The final minutes were all Idaho State with the Bengals scoring seven unanswered points in the final minute to cap a 13-3 run.
The Bengals returned to the hardwood and shut out the Wildcats for an additional four minutes as they stretched the lead to 21 points in the third. However, Weber State was not finished yet. The home team battled its way back into the game and cut the lead to six with six minutes remaining in regulation. That was as close as they would get with Idaho State landing its final seven free-throw attempts to keep Weber State at a distance.
Emily Drake led the charge for Weber State with 22 points. Jaiamoni Welch-Coleman tallied 13 points and seven rebounds for WSU while adding six assists. The Bengals limited the Wildcats' star to 5-18 shooting with an 0-4 record from beyond the arc.
"It was a group effort," Sobolewski said. "That's not a kid you can guard by yourself."
The game brought an end to an undefeated, three-game road stretch for Idaho State. The team returns to Reed Gym Saturday afternoon. The Bengals will host a Sacramento State team that received an extended break with no Thursday night game. Tip is set for 2:05 p.m.
