SEATTLE, WA – The Idaho State men's basketball team wrapped up its first game in a two-game road swing Saturday night with a 74-83 loss at Seattle University inside the Redhawk Center.
Despite the setback, the Bengals received two of their biggest individual performances of the young season, as Caleb Van De Griend delivered a dominant 25-point double-double and Martin Kheil erupted for a career-high 15 points on elite perimeter shooting. ISU poured in 40 second-half points and battled to the final whistle, but Seattle U's near-perfect shooting proved too much to overcome.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Seattle U opened the game red-hot, shooting 67 percent in the first half and knocking down seven of its first ten three-point attempts to build a 43-34 halftime lead. The Bengals kept themselves within striking distance thanks to big early baskets from Van De Griend and Connor Hollenbeck, and key perimeter shooting from Kheil, who drained two triple's before the break.
Idaho State came out swinging in the second half. Van De Griend — who was nearly unstoppable in the paint — scored 15 of his game-high 25 points after halftime, muscling through Seattle's interior defenders and knocking down free throws at a high clip. Kheil continued his breakout performance from beyond the arc, burying back-to-back threes midway through the period to fuel ISU's push as the Bengals fought the margin back to single digits.
Senior forward Blake Daberkow added six points off the bench on perfect 3-for-3 shooting, while Jamison Guerra steadied the backcourt with three assists and timely scoring. Idaho State and Seattle U both scored 40 points each in the second half. ISU finished the half shooting 44 percent from the field and showing impressive resilience against one of the WAC's top returning rosters.
PLAYER STATS
The Idaho State starting five was led by Connor Hollenbeck, who finished with 11 points on 5-of-11 shooting, adding five rebounds, five assists, and two steals in 36 minutes. Cheikh Sow added four points, three rebounds, and two steals, and Evan Otten contributed four points on 2-of-3 shooting, but would battle foul trouble all night. Lachlan Brewer finished with three points, one assist, and one rebound, while Gus Etchison provided two points and an assist.
And off the bench for the Bengals, Caleb Van De Griend delivered one of the finest performances of his ISU career, pouring in 25 points and 10 rebounds on 7-of-14 shooting while going 10-of-12 from the free-throw line. He dominated the interior all night, scoring through contact, extending plays with offensive rebounds, and carrying the scoring load down the stretch.
Martin Kheil was equally impressive, erupting for a career-high 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting (5-7 from 3-point territory) — while adding three assists & one steal and showcasing deep range that kept ISU within striking distance.
Blake Daberkow finished with six points (3-for-3), Jamison Guerra added four points, three assists, three rebounds, and a steal, and Louis Bond and Quin Patterson provided defensive minutes and rebounding support.
TEAM STATS
Idaho State shot 46.6 percent (27-for-58) from the field, 33.3 percent (8-for-24) from three, and 75.0 percent (12-for-16) at the free-throw line. The Bengals hauled in 31 rebounds, including 16 offensive boards that produced 16 second-chance points. ISU's bench delivered 50 of the team's 74 points — their highest bench output of the season.
Seattle U shot an ultra-efficient 62.0 percent (31-for-50) from the field and 55.0 percent (11-for-20) from beyond the arc. The Redhawks were led by Brayden Maldonado's 22 points and generated 25 points off turnovers.
BENGAL BITES
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Van De Griend posted his first double-double of the season with 25 points and 10 rebounds, going 10-of-12 from the line.
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Kheil scored a career-high 15 points, hitting 5-of-7 from deep.
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Hollenbeck added 11 points, five rebounds, and two steals.
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Daberkow scored six points on a perfect shooting night (3-3).
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Idaho State's 50 bench points mark its highest total of the season.
NEXT UP
Idaho State concludes their two-game West Coast road trip on Tuesday, Nov. 18th, at Santa Clara. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. MT on ESPN+ and KISU 91.1 FM.
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