POCATELLO, Idaho - Idaho State overpowered Omaha on Wednesday night, securing a 74–43 victory behind a program-record 28 offensive rebounds and a relentless effort on the glass that generated 22 second-chance points. The Bengals dominated the boards 57–27 and held the Mavericks to just 32.1 percent shooting, improving to 5–2 on the season.
"We were very proud of our effort, especially on the offensive glass and just the energy we brought in," Head Coach
Seton Sobolewski said after the win. "The team has responded marvelously, and their effort's great. Their heart is in the right place."
Omaha employed a rare triangle-and-two defensive look throughout the night, slowing tempo early. Sobolewski acknowledged its impact: "You just don't see that type of defense often. They put a lot of pressure on you to make a three, and I think we made enough of them. And the ones we didn't make, we did a great job of crashing and getting second opportunities."
Bengal Leaders
Piper Carlson: 19 points (8-for-11), 11 rebounds
Tasia Jordan: 14 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks
Kacey Spink: 8 points, 11 rebounds (6 OR), 7 assists, 3 steals
Maeva Gauffrenet: 9 points (three 3-pointers), 2 assists, 2 steals
Halle Wright: 12 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists
Sobolewski praised Carlson's performance: "I think she just focused on playing hard and trying to win the game. She had a little thing she had to overcome, and she did it. Hopefully we can just keep it rolling."
He also highlighted Spink's value against the zone: "You need someone like Kacey when you're playing against zones. She's a great decision-maker, a really good passer. She does a lot of little things really well, but she might be special in terms of passing and decision-making."
How It Happened
First Quarter — Idaho State 17, Omaha 13
ISU's tone-setting effort began immediately. At 9:03,
Piper Carlson opened the scoring with a put-back layup off her own offensive rebound. A transition finish from
Kacey Spink at 7:56 made it 4–2.
Maeva Gauffrenet connected from deep at 4:50, then again at 2:33 to put ISU ahead 12–11. Carlson added a late layup at 0:19, capping a 6–2 run and giving ISU a 17–13 lead. The Bengals grabbed 10 offensive rebounds in the quarter.
Second Quarter — Idaho State 24, Omaha 12
Spink opened the period with a second-chance floater at 9:24, and Jordan followed with a jumper at 8:13. Wright added five straight points—two free throws at 7:06 and a three at 6:27—to extend the margin.
Jordan scored in transition at 5:53, and
Aspen Caldwell connected on a second-chance three at 5:17. Carlson closed the half with a layup at 4:53, another at 4:14, and two free throws at 0:35, pushing the halftime lead to 41–25.
Third Quarter — Idaho State 15, Omaha 9
The Bengals opened the second half on a 9–2 run. Jordan hit a jumper at 8:55,
Alyse Aby added a three at 8:37, and Jordan scored again at 6:59 off Spink's sixth assist.
Carlson scored her fifth field goal at 5:53. Wright added a layup at 3:46, and Gauffrenet hit her third three at 2:52 to push the margin to 56–31. Omaha added a late basket to cut it to 56–34 entering the fourth.
Fourth Quarter — Idaho State 18, Omaha 9
Carlson opened the frame with a three-point play at 9:36, then added her seventh field goal on a put-back at 6:34. Jordan hit a transition three at 7:34, and Carlson scored her eighth and final basket at 2:36, finishing 8-for-11.
Asa Wolfram added two free throws at 1:06, and Wright hit a jumper at 0:32 to push the lead to its largest point at 74–41. Omaha scored once more at 0:12 for the final margin.
Bengal Bites
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The 57 rebounds against the Omaha Mavericks are the most against a DI opponent since 2005, when the Bengals had 59 in a 91–89 loss to Boise State.
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Idaho State is now averaging 44.0 rebounds per game, out-rebounding opponents by +11.8 per game this season.
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ISU's 28 offensive rebounds versus Omaha raised its season average to 18.0 offensive rebounds per game.
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Piper Carlson is averaging 13.0 points per game and shooting 54.4% from the field this season.
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Kacey Spink is averaging 7.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 3.7 steals per game, while shooting 36.2% from the field.
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Tasia Jordan is averaging 14.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 0.9 blocks per game.
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Five Bengals are averaging at least 7.0 points per game this season.
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Opponents are shooting just 35.8% from the field and 29.7% from three against the Bengals.
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The ISU bench is contributing 23.7 points per game.
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Idaho State is averaging only 12.6 turnovers per game while forcing 17.3, for a turnover margin of +4.7.
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The Bengals are scoring 73.6 points per game and holding opponents to 61.0, winning by an average of +12.6.
UP Next
The Bengals travel to Tulsa, OK to take on Oral Roberts. Game time is set for 1:00 PM MT and links to follow will be posted on the ISU Athletics Website.
