POCATELLO, Idaho – The Idaho State men's basketball team lost 82-76 on Saturday evening at the Viking Pavilion in Portland, Ore.
The Vikings lead the entire game and led by as many as 14 early in the second half.
Chier Maker led the scoring for Idaho State with 22 points, 17 coming in the second half.
Jared Stutzman had 16 points. He was 5-5 from the field and 4-4 from the three-point line.
Tarik Cool had 14 points and
Malik Porter had 10.
Idaho State shot 45 percent from the field and made 11 of 22 3-pointers. The Bengals were 9-17 from the free throw line.
Idaho State out rebounded Portland State 42-38. Porter had a career-high 13 rebounds. Idaho State did turn it over 18 times while the Vikings had only 10
"At the end of the day it was the same thing that has hurt us all year," Idaho State coach
Ryan Looney said. "We turned the ball over too much and we didn't make our free throws."
The game was close throughout the contest. The Vikings jumped out to an 18-10 lead with 12:33 left in the first half. ISU then went on an 8-0 run to tie the game at 18 after a 3 by Maker and a basket by Porter two minutes later. The game was also tied at 20 and at 36 with 1:33 to play in the first half after a Stutzman 3-pointer.
Cool later tied the game at 38 with 40 seconds left but the Vikings hit two free throws in the final minute to take a 40-38 lead at halftime.
Portland State opened the second half by jumping out to a 58-44 lead with 14:27 to play. Idaho State countered with a 10-2 run to cut its deficit to 60-54 with 12:28 remaining after a 3-pointer by Maker.
Idaho State got no closer than three points at 79-76 with 25 seconds left in the game.
"All year long our guys have played hard," Looney said. "We are competing. There hasn't been a game all year where we haven't been out of it."
Idaho State returns home to host Montana on Thursday, January 23 at 7 p.m. The game will be televised on Eleven Sports. Idaho State then hosts Montana State on Saturday, January 25 at 7 p.m.
"We had 21 offensive rebounds tonight," Looney said. "That is pretty amazing. We are not too far away. We are going to get there. Hopefully our fans stay patient with us."
Notes
-
Malik Porter had a career-high 13 rebounds.
-
Jared Stutzman had a career-high five assists.
- This was the first time all season the Bengals have given up 80 points or more.
- 11 made 3's was the second most Idaho State has made in a game this year.
