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POCATELLO, Idaho- The Idaho State women's basketball team fell in its conference opener, 62-56, to the University of Idaho in Moscow on Saturday afternoon.
Idaho State out-shot Idaho 35 percent (22-63) to 32 percent (19-60) from the floor and 33 percent (5-15) to 31 percent (8-26) from beyond the three-point arc. The Vandals scored 16 points from the free-throw line, shooting 73 percent. The Bengals out-rebounded Idaho 47-42 while adding eight steals and seven blocks.
"[Allison] Kirby hit a couple of big three's for them that kind of stemmed our tide a little bit right at the right moments," said Assistant Coach
Ryan Johnson. "There are certain things we are trying to do to figure out our identity."
Diaba Konate tied her career-high 16 points going 6-13 from field-goal range, 1-2 from the three-point line, and 3-6 from the free-throw line.
Callie Bourne finished with a career-high 13 boards and tied her career-high in blocks with two.
Montana Oltrogge added nine points for the Bengals followed by
Tomekia Whitman with eight.
Konate scored the first five points for the Bengals after sinking her second three of the season to open the game. The Vandals were held scoreless through the first four minutes before they went on a 14-6 run to end the first quarter leading ISU, 14-11.
Tomekia Whitman hit a three-pointer to tie the game at 14 to start the second quarter. Idaho answered back by going on a 21-12 run to end the half with its biggest lead at 35-23.
In the first half, the Vandals out-shot the Bengals 40 percent (12-30) to 32 percent (9-28) from the floor while going 8-8 from the free-throw line and scoring seven points off of eight Bengal turnovers. ISU shot 50 percent (3-6) from three-point range.. Â
To open the third quarter, Idaho State went on a 12-2 run to cut the Vandal lead, 37-33, with 3:36 minutes left. The Bengals would get as close as two at 37-35, 40-38, and ended the quarter 42-40. Oltrogge led the Bengals with seven points in the third quarter, 2-4 from field-goal range, 1-2 from three, and 2-2 from the free-throw line.
Konate answered back with an early layup to cut the Vandal lead back to two at 44-42 after Idaho jumped ahead in the fourth. Idaho would go on to sink four 3's and four from the free-throw line to end the game in a 62-56 victory.
"I like the fight that I saw throughout the third and even the fourth," said Johnson. "They came out in the third quarter and responded. To hold them to seven points in a single quarter at home is a heck of a thing. We got right back in the game, it was right there. We've got to figure out how to close it out."
Idaho State continues conference play on the road against Eastern Washington on Dec. 30 in Cheney, Wash. at 7 p.m. (MST).
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