CHENEY, Washington – The Idaho State men's basketball team faced off against the Eastern Washington Eagles. Their second meeting of the year with the Eagles. The Bengals falling to EWU in Pocatello earlier this season.
The Eagles would come away with the early lead in the game, leading the Bengals 40-32 as both teams went into the halftime break.
Idaho State would take their first lead of the second half with just 7:02 to play, as
AJ Burgin would hit a pair of free-throws to give ISU a 64-63 lead in Cheney. As time winded down late the Eagles extended their lead to as many as nine points inside a minute and thirty season remaining, and Idaho State would be unable to pull off the late comeback, falling 82-88 to Eastern Washington. After the loss, Idaho State falls to 11-15 overall and 6-7 in Big Sky play. Following the win, Eastern Washington falls to 17-8 overall and 11-1 in Big Sky play.
Brayden Parker led Idaho State in scoring, totaling 20 points on 6-of-12 shooting from the field and 2-of-4 from behind-the-arc, while also grabbing four rebounds, three assists, and one steal. Fellow big man,
Kiree Huie, would put up 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field, four rebounds, and two steals.
Miguel Tomley would score 10 points, grab three rebounds, and dish out one assist while other starting guard,
Maleek Arington, would put nine points, a career-high nine assists, two rebounds, and one steal. The final starter for ISU,
Isaiah Griffin, would end the game with six points and three rebounds.
Briggs Ranstrom and
AJ Burgin would provide the Idaho State Bengals with valuable minutes off the bench as Ranstrom finished with six points, one rebound, and one assist in 17 minutes of action, and Burgin would tally 13 points on 3-of-5 shooting from deep, three rebounds, one assist, and one steal in 25 minutes of play.
Idaho State finished the game shooting 53.8 percent from the field, and 50 percent from three-point territory, going 10-of-20 from behind the arc. The Bengals tallied 15 assists, 21 rebounds, and 5 steals.
Eastern Washington finished the game shooting 64.6 percent from the field and 58.3 percent from three-point land (7-for-12). The Eagles finished the game with 26 rebounds, 56 steals, and 19 assists.
The Idaho State men's basketball team will be back in action on Saturday, February 17
th on the road in Moscow, Idaho taking on rivals, the Idaho Vandals, at 3 pm MT.
