Bengals Drop 69-61 Contest in Logan

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POCATELLO, Idaho- The Idaho State women's basketball team fell 69-61 to Utah State on Thursday night in Logan, Utah.

Idaho State shot 46 percent (25-55) from the field and went 5-10 from the free-throw line. Utah State was 24-26 from the free-throw line and shot 43 percent (20-47) from the floor. ISU was forced into 18 turnovers and recorded 26 fouls.
 
Tomekia Whitman led the ISU offense with a career-high 20 points, going 7-11 from the floor, 1-2 from three, and 5-6 from the free-throw line. Diaba Konate added 13 points for the Bengals, going 6-12 from  field goal range.
  
The Bengals went on a 9-0 run early in the first quarter, scoring seven points off of Aggie turnovers. ISU shot 53 percent (8-15) from the floor while holding USU to 17 percent (1-6) from three-point range to end the quarter with a 19-13 lead.
 
The Aggies would cut the Bengal lead to 29-27 with 3:28 minutes left in the second quarter. ISU answered back with a 7-3 run, highlighted by Konate's first three-pointer of the season to end the half with a 37-30 lead. Whitman finished the half with 12 points followed by Konate with nine.
 
ISU took its biggest lead of the night at 43-30 in the third quarter. Back-to-back three's by Utah State cut the ISU lead to 47-42 with 2:26 minutes remaining in the quarter, allowing the Aggies to go on a 12-3 run to end the third down 50-46.

Utah State took a 55-54 lead with 3:37 left in the game before Whitman hit a three to take back a 56-55 ISU lead. Whitman then tied it up at 58 with a lay-up after the Aggies sunk another long shot to keep them alive with two minutes left. The Aggies would go on an 11-3 run to put the game away.

"We are in transition right now," said Head Coach Seton Sobolewski. "The match-ups have been tough. Tonight you have two really physical low-post players that you have to help on and do a good job. We just don't have the size and strength to match-up with them. We're trying to help but then we leave other things open. That was the hard part about tonight."

Idaho State begins conference play on Saturday, Dec. 28, at 3 p.m. against the Idaho Vandals in Moscow, Idaho.

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