Men's Hoops Returns to Reed Gym, Takes on Embry Riddle Aeronautical University

POCATELLO, Idaho- The Idaho State men's basketball team will be back in Reed Gym for the second time this season, hosting the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Eagles on Monday, November 25th at 7 p.m. MT. This game will be streamed on the ESPN+, you can listen along live with Scott Gross on KISU, or you can follow along with LiveStats.
  
Embry Riddle Aeronautical University (2-4)
Home (2-0), Away (0-2), Neutral (0-2)
 
Embry Riddle is 2-4 on the season, their two victories coming over Nobel University and Justice College, both by double digits.
 
UCLA Recap
The Bengals and Bruins would battle closely in the beginning of the first half, the Bengals taking a 12-10 lead with 13:51 remaining in the first half after Isaiah Griffin would come out scorching hot, scoring all of the Bengals 12 points to begin the game. However, the Bruins would proceed to go on a 10-0 run to gain a 20-12 advantage with 10:05 to play in the half. UCLA would build their lead to as many as 17 points in the first half, but the halftime break the Bengals would head into the locker rooms trailing by 14, 27-41.
 
In the second half the Bruins would balloon their lead all the way to a game-high 28 points with just 8:01 to play, however the Bengals would show fight towards the end. As they ended the final eight minutes outscoring UCLA by 14 points, as they would fall by 14 in Pauley Pavilion, 70-84. Following the loss Idaho State will drop to 2-4 overall, and UCLA would boost their record to 4-1 on the season.
 
Four Bengals finished the night scoring in double digits for the ISU squad, leading the way was senior, Isaiah Griffin, who finished tying his season-high with 16 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field and setting a new career-high in 3FG, going 3-of-6 from beyond the arc, while also grabbing two rebounds, one assist, and one steal. Dylan Darling would total 13 points on 5-for-10 shooting from the floor, three assists, and one block. Connor Hollenbeck would break out of his shooting slump, going 3-for-6 in this one, finishing with seven points, three rebounds, and one assist. Big man, Evan Otten, would foul out after 20 minutes played, finishing with six points, two steals, and two rebounds. The final starter for Idaho State, Jake O'Neil, would tally five rebounds, two assists, and one steal as O'Neil was left scoreless, going 0-of-3 from the floor. Off the bench AJ Burgin and Jaedyn Brown both finished the game in double figures for scoring, Burgin scoring 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting from the field and 3-of-6 from deep, with two rebounds in 13 minutes of action, while Brown would put up 10 points on 3-of-7 shooting from the field and 2-for-5 from deep, three rebounds, one assist, and one steal in 16 minutes played. Quentin Meza would finish off the scoring for the Bengals, going 2-for-2 at the free-throw line while having one assist, one rebound, and one steal in 15 minutes.
 
The Bengals finished the game shooting just 44.4 percent from the field, and 33.3 percent from deep finishing 11-of-33 from three-point range. Idaho State showed their srength on the glass, finishing just-2 in the rebounding margin to UCLA, outrebounding UCLA on the offensive end, 10-8. The Bengals would also finish with 16 assists and 7 steals.
 
UCLA finished the game shooting 57.4 percent from the field and 64.3 percent from three-point territory. The Bruins would finish with 16 assists, 25 boards, and 7 steals.
 
 
The Returning 4
 
4          Jaedyn Brown           G         R-Fr.   6-4      185     Pullman, WA
12        Isaiah Griffin             F          Sr.       6-6      210     Knightdale, NC
13        AJ Burgin                   G         Sr.       6-3      205     San Diego, Calif.
30        Evan Otten                C         R-Fr.   6-11    235     Redmond, OR                       
 
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0          Joey Madimba          G         Jr.       6-5      205     Mansfield, TX          
1          Dylan Darling            G         R-So.  6-1      180     Spokane, WA            
2          Nick Ghetie               G         Fr.       5-11    175     Portland, OR 
3          Quentin Meza           G         So.      6-0      180     West Valley City, UT
5          Cheikh Sow               G         Jr.       6-7      195     Theis, Senegal                     
8          Jake O'Neil                G         Gr.       6-4      210     Fruitland, ID             
10        Connor Hollenbeck  F          Gr.       6-7      225     Rapid City, SD
11        Cam Slaymaker        G         Jr.       6-4      195     Coquitlam, BC, CA   
14        Covy Kelly                 G         Jr.       6-2      182     Garden Valley, ID
21        Jackson Greene       F          Jr.       6-7      215     Atlanta, GA               
24        Justin Graham         F          Sr.       6-7      200     Colorado Springs, CO
32        Blake Daberkow       C         Jr.       6-10    235     Lincoln, NE
 
 
Bengal Bites

• Idaho State brings in 12 new players for the 2024-25 campaign (1 of only 27 schools in NCAA D1)
• Jake O'Neil recorded his second double-double of the season (17 points & 12 rebounds) in Idaho State's game at Cal State Fullerton on Nov. 18^th (T-1^st in the Big Sky in Double-Doubles)
• Dylan Darling became the first ISU player since Brandon Boyd in 2018 to record 20+ points and 5+ assists in the same game in the Bengals' near upset of USC on Nov. 7^th
• Idaho State is currently 4^th in the Big Sky & is 93^rd in the Country in Blocks per Game (4.3)
• The Bengals are 3^rd in the Big Sky in Rebounds per Game (39) and 2^nd in the Big Sky & 30^th in the NCAA in both Rebound Margin (+10) and Offensive Rebounds per Game (14.67)
• Idaho State has been efficient in getting to the free-throw line early into this season, ranking 1^st in the Conference in FTM per Game (15.3), and FT% (80%) (19^th in the Nation in FT%)
• Jake O'Neil has been a beast on the glass, 2^nd the Big Sky and is 34^th in the Country in Total Rebounds (51) and Evan Otten is 5^th in the Big Sky (37)
• Jake O'Neil is 2^nd in the Big Sky and 73^rd in the Country in Rebounds per Game (8.5)
• Evan Otten leads the Big Sky in Blocks and Blocks per Game, Otten ranks Top 10 in the entire Country in Total Blocks (13) and is 34^th in the Country in Blocks per Game (2.17)
• Dylan Darling is 3^rd in the Big Sky and 47^th  in the Nation in Assists (29) and 2^nd in the BSC and 87^th in the Nation in Assists per Game (4.8)
• Dylan Darling has been all but automatic from the charity stripe thus far this year, 2^nd the Big Sky in FTM (29) and 3^rd in FT% (87.9%). Darling is also ranked 39^th in the NCAA in FTM.

 
 
Looking Ahead
Following their contest in against Embry-Riddle, the Bengals will take part in the Big Sky vs. Summit League contest, as they travel to take on the University of South Dakota on Wednesday, December 4^th in Vermillion, SD, followed by a home game in Reed Gym vs. Oral Roberts on Saturday, December 7^th at 6 P.M.
 
Follow the Bengals
Follow along at ISUBengals.com to keep up to date with the team. Fans can also follow the Bengals on social media  (Twitter: @IdahoStateMBB | Instagram:@Idahostatembb | Facebook:@IdahoStateMensBasketball)