POCATELLO, Idaho – Idaho State women's basketball improved to 9-4 overall and 2-0 in Big Sky Conference play with a 72–63 win over Portland State on Saturday afternoon at Viking Pavilion in Portland, Oregon.
"I thought we did a really good job," head coach
Seton Sobolewski said. "They gave us a great run, we had to fight back, and I'm just proud of our efforts."
Idaho State set the tone early, scoring on its first two possessions as
Piper Carlson finished a layup at the 9:44 mark and
Alyse Aby converted off a Viking turnover at 8:37 to take a 6–2 lead. The Bengals controlled the opening period defensively and led 17–10 after one quarter.
Portland State responded in the second quarter by attacking the offensive glass, using second-chance opportunities to fuel a 7–0 run and briefly move in front 26–20 with 4:25 remaining. Sobolewski pointed to the rebounding battle as a key early challenge. "Portland State came out and did a great job, really hurting us on the offensive glass early," he said. "Once our offensive rebounding picked up, our offense in general got better."
Idaho State answered late in the half with its strongest stretch before the break, closing on a 10–2 run over the final 1:10.
Asa Wolfram scored in the paint with 39 seconds left, and
Aspen Caldwell knocked down a jumper in the final 10 seconds to give the Bengals a 33–30 lead at halftime.
The momentum carried into the third quarter as Idaho State opened the period with a 7–0 run, sparked by defensive stops and transition chances. The Bengals outscored the Vikings 23–16 in the quarter and built their largest lead of the game, 10 points, at the 6:45 mark. Portland State answered with its own brief surge, but Idaho State maintained control. "They gave us a great run, we had to fight back," Sobolewski said.
Portland State made another push early in the fourth quarter, trimming the deficit to six, but Idaho State responded with key rebounds and steady execution. Sobolewski rotated through his lineup throughout the second half, citing long-term development as part of the approach. "We have a group of young players on the bench that need some playing experience," he said. "I've got to get them in the game to get a little battle tested so that they're better for the future."
Idaho State closed out the game at the free-throw line, finishing 16-of-18 at the stripe the best free throw percentage of the season at .889, and held Portland State off down the stretch to secure the road conference win.
Bengal Bites
• Idaho State improved to 9-4 overall and 2-0 in Big Sky Conference play with the road win.
• The Bengals have now won four straight games and six of their last seven dating back to Dec. 13.
• Idaho State scored 72 points, its third-highest total of the season and a season high in Big Sky play.
• ISU shot 88.9% from the free-throw line (16-of-18), its best free-throw percentage of the season.
• The Bengals posted 19 assists, now having double-digit assists in three of their last four games.
• Idaho State has now held four of its last five opponents to 63 points or fewer.
• The Bengals have won four straight road games and five of its last seven.
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Tasia Jordan continues to lead Idaho State in scoring at 16.1 points per game this season and recorded her sixth 20-point game of the year at Portland State.
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Piper Carlson is averaging 10.8 points and a team-high 8.4 rebounds per game, ranking among the Big Sky's most efficient interior scorers with a .537 field-goal percentage.
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Maeva Gauffrenet is shooting 42.6% from three-point range this season, the best mark on the team, and has connected on 20 made three-pointers through 13 games.
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Kacey Spink leads the Bengals in assists at 4.2 per game and continues to anchor the glass, averaging 7.3 rebounds per contest. She is now three steals away from owning the all-time ISU steals record.
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Aspen Caldwell is shooting 40.0% from three-point range this season and has now appeared in all 13 games after entering the lineup as a reserve in six contests.
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Asa Wolfram is converting 73.9% at the free-throw while as a team the Bengals are shooting 70.5 percent from the charity stripe.
Next Up
After more than a month on the road, the Bengals are finally back home in Reed Gym this next week. First, Idaho State takes on Northern Colorado, Thursday, January 8 at 7:00 PM. Then the Bengals welcome Northern Arizona to Pocatello, Saturday, January 10 at 2:00 PM. Both games will be streamed on ESPN+ and available on KISU 91.1 FM.
