Bengals Rally Over NAU in 79-76 Victory

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POCATELLO, Idaho- The Idaho State women's basketball team came back from a 24-point deficit in the second quarter to take a 79-76 victory over Northern Arizona in Flagstaff, Ariz.

"The second quarter rolled around and we kind of started to change our attitude and our mentality and called a couple time outs," said Head Coach Seton Sobolewski. "Once that attitude changed, we had a chance. After that it was a great team effort but Diaba went to another level today. She was hands down the best player on the floor. Everyone else looked like they were standing still compared to her."

The Bengals shot 46 percent from field-goal range and 50 percent from three while holding NAU to 38 percent from the floor and 36 percent from three. ISU scored 17 points off of 11 NAU turnovers. The Lumberjacks out-rebounded Idaho State 42-35. 

Diaba Konate  led four Bengals in double figures  with a career-high 32-point game. Dora Goles followed with 12 points and Callie Bourne and Ellie Smith each scoring 10. Konate and Bourne led with five boards each. 

The Bengals got off to a slow start trailing 23-8 after the first quarter and 32-8 less than three minutes into the second. The Bengals started chipping away at their deficit by going on a 20-7 run to trail 39-28 at halftime. The second quarter rally was capped by a Goles four-point play with 29 seconds left in the second quarter.

Idaho State stayed within striking distance in the third, cutting the NAU lead to nine at four different times and then eight at 57-49 thanks to a 3-pointer by Bourne with 2:11 left. The Bengals trailed 65-53 at the end of the third. Konate scored 13 of her 25 second half points in the third quarter. 

The Bengals opened the fourth quarter on a 13-4 run to whittle the NAU lead to 69-66 with 5:50 to play after a 3-pointer by Goles.

Idaho State took its first lead at 72-71 with 2:41 minutes left in the game following two free throws by Smith. 

The Bengals took the lead for good at 76-73 with 57 seconds left in the game after Konate hit back-to-back jumpers. Idaho State would hit three of four free throws down the stretch to preserve the victory.

"They learned something about themselves today," said Sobolewski. "That was the biggest lesson to take away from this whole thing. Even if you're down 24-points, if you can change your attitude, if you can work harder, and if you can tighten some things up, you can still win. Hopefully we have learned that you should never give up because there is always a chance to come back."

Idaho State faces the Sacramento State Hornets on Saturday, Feb. 6, at 3:05 p.m. (MST) in Sacramento, Calif.