POCATELLO, Idaho -- Idaho State slowed the high octane offense of Sacramento State to a crawl in a dominant 73-43 win Saturday afternoon with 987 in attendance at Reed Gym. ISU's fifth-straight win brought its record to 10-5 overall and 5-1 in Big Sky play. Meanwhile, Sacramento State continued its skid, dropping to 4-8 with a 0-4 mark in conference play.
"Honestly, I think the pieces were just falling together for us," said Idaho State junior Sai Tapasa. "We were hitting shots when we needed to, we were sharing the ball and passing it, people were playing hard, and people off the bench came in and played tough and kept the level of competition high for us. That definitely helped out."
The Hornets came to Pocatello leading the conference with 76.5 points per game, but were limited to a 22.4 field goal percentage by a stiff Bengal defense that forced 21 turnovers with nine steals. Idaho State also tallied 10 blocks and controlled the boards with 50 rebounds to Sacramento State's 34.
The Bengals shot 43.3 percent from the field with all ten players making at least one field goal. The team had 21 assists and 19 second-chance points after securing 21 offensive rebounds.
Tapasa controlled the game from the onset, making 11 of 16 attempts for 22 points while adding seven rebounds. She also played a major role in limiting Sacramento State to just six points in the paint and added a block and steal.
"This is very similar to how she played in Weber," said Head Coach Seton Sobolewski. "She didn't get as many shots in the second half against Weber, but at Weber she opened up by hitting five jumpers."
Grace Kenyon was the only other ISU player in double figures with 15 points and a team-high nine rebounds. Kenyon also led the team with six assists and four blocks.
Several of ISU's younger players also had an impact as the Bengals posted a season-high 23 points from the bench. Melisa Kadic scored the first five points of her career after making her lone attempt from the field and two free throws. Delaney Moore and Nuria Barrientos both finished with seven points and Callie Bourne collected seven rebounds and five assists.
Tapasa and Kenyon scored 16 of ISU's 18 points in the first quarter. Idaho State led by two at the end of the period which featured five lead changes and four ties.
The Bengals broke the game open in the second, outscoring the Hornets 25-10 with 13 points created from turnovers. Barrientos netted a buzzer-beating three to give ISU a 17-point advantage at halftime.
The Bengal defense locked down and nearly shut out the Hornets in the third period. Idaho State held Sacramento State scoreless for 9:59 before Summer Menke landed a three-point basket at the buzzer. The Bengals also outscored the Hornets in the fourth period, completing the sweep for the 73-43 win.
Sacramento State was led by Menke with 12 points. Gabi Bade followed with 11 points and no other player scored more than six. Kennedy Nicholas led SAC's 14 players with seven rebounds.
Idaho State will have a full week to prepare for conference-leading Northern Colorado. The Bears are undefeated in Big Sky play and 10-4 overall. The Bengals will make the trip to Greeley, Colorado next Saturday for the 7 p.m. clash between the conference's top-two squads.
