FLAGSTAFF, AZ - Idaho State men's basketball continued its mastery at J. Lawrence Walkup Skydome on Saturday night, edging Northern Arizona 81–79 to secure its 10th consecutive win in Flagstaff and improve to 9–8 overall and 2–2 in Big Sky Conference play. The victory marked another great offensive output for the Bengals, who have now scored 80 or more points in five of their last six games.

Idaho State was led once again by point guard, Jamison Guerra, who posted 22 points on 9-of-16 shooting to lead the Bengals in scoring for the second straight game and record his second consecutive 20-point performance. The win also featured key contributions throughout the rotation as Idaho State withstood a late push from the Lumberjacks to close out the road victory.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Idaho State came out sharp, building early momentum behind efficient interior scoring and ball movement. After a pair of early baskets from Lachlan Brewer, the Bengals used a 15-2 run between the 16:44 and 12:29 mark of the first half to take a 19-9 lead, capped by three-pointers from Lachlan Brewer, Martin Kheil, and Caleb Van De Griend.

The Bengals continued to apply pressure, stretching the advantage to as many as 12 points with 6:32 remaining in the first half. Northern Arizona answered with steady interior play and closing the later parts of the first half on a 13-2 run, trimming the deficit to 40–39 at the break.

The second half featured 10 lead changes as both teams traded punches. Northern Arizona briefly grabbed the lead early, but Idaho State responded with timely baskets from captains, Jamison Guerra & Connor Hollenbeck, as well as Caleb Van De Griend to regain control. With the Bengals trailing 55–57 at the 9:26 mark, Gus Etchison knocked down a jumper to steady the Bengals before later burying a three at 9:26 to swing momentum back in Idaho State's favor.

Down the stretch, Idaho State executed in the paint and at the free-throw line, finishing the game 7-9 from the charity stripe in the final 10 minutes of the contest. With just under three minutes remaining, Hollenbeck converted inside to push the lead to three (75-72), and Van De Griend followed with a layup with just 57 seconds remaining to make it 79–75. Hollenbeck then sealed the win with a driving floater from just inside the key with 21 seconds to play, allowing the Bengals to survive Northern Arizona's final free-throw attempts.

PLAYER STATS

The Bengals' starting five set the tone offensively. Guerra led all scorers for the second straight game with 22 points, adding two rebounds, six assists, and one steal. Hollenbeck followed with 16 points, a game-high eight rebounds, and one steal while going 8-of-10 at the free-throw line. Martin Kheil contributed 11 points, three rebounds, and one assist, while Lachlan Brewer added nine points on an efficient 4-of-5 shooting night, to go along with one assist, one rebound, one steal, and one block. Evan Otten anchored the defense with two blocks, one rebound, and one assist in 15 minutes of action.

Off the bench for the Bengals, Gus Etchison delivered another impactful performance, scoring 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting, marking his second straight game in double figures, the first time he has done so this season, to pair with one assist & one steal in just six minutes of playing time. Caleb Van De Griend chipped in nine points, seven rebounds, and one block, while Cheikh Sow and Blake Daberkow added key minutes in the frontcourt.

TEAM STATS

Idaho State finished the night shooting 55.8 percent (29-52) from the field, 35.3 percent (6-17) from three-point range, and 81.0 percent (17-21) at the free-throw line. The Bengals recorded 10 assists, turned the ball over 14 times, and scored 44 points in the paint. Idaho State ended the evening with 30 total rebounds, 4 steals, and 4 blocks.

Northern Arizona shot 51.9 percent (27-52) overall, 35.7 percent (5-14) from deep, and 76.9 percent (20-26) from the free-throw line. NAU ended the contest with 24 total rebounds, 14 assists, 2 blocks, 8 steals, and committed 11 turnovers. The 'Jacks were led by Karl Poom's career high 22 points & Chris Komin's career high 16 points, but Idaho State's efficiency and late game execution late proved decisive. 

BENGAL BITES

• Idaho State has now won 10 straight games at Northern Arizona, continuing a decade-long run of success in Flagstaff.

• Jamison Guerra scored 20-plus points for the second straight game and led the Bengals in scoring for the second consecutive outing.

• Gus Etchison scored in double figures for the second straight game, the first time he has done so this season.

• The Bengals have scored 80 or more points in five of their last six games.

• Idaho State shot 55.8 percent from the field, its most efficient shooting performance this season.

• The game featured 14 lead changes (10 in the 2nd half) underscoring the back-and-forth nature of the contest.

• ISU's 29 Field Goals Made were the 3rd most against a D1 opponent this season.

• Idaho State's 19 points scored off of turnovers in today's game is tied for the 2nd most points scored off of opponents' turnovers in a game this season by the Bengals

NEXT UP

Idaho State returns home to Reed Gym to host rivals, the Idaho Vandals, for game 1 of the Battle for King Spud between the two programs this season on Thursday, Jan. 15th at 7 p.m. The Bengals finish off their quick two-game homestand with a contest on Saturday, Jan. 17th against former Bengal, Kiree Huie, and the Eastern Washington Eagles. Tip is scheduled for 4 p.m.

Both games will be aired on ESPN+, or can listen along to the Voice of the Bengals, Scott Gross, on KISU 91.1 FM.

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