BOISE, Idaho — Idaho State opened the 2026 Big Sky Conference Tournament with a statement performance Saturday evening, defeating No. 10 seed Northern Arizona 73-65 at Idaho Central Arena to advance to the second round.
Behind a dominant effort on the glass and standout performances from Connor Hollenbeck and Louis Bond, the Bengals controlled the game from start to finish to earn the postseason victory.
With the win, Idaho State head coach Ryan Looney improves to 3-0 against Northern Arizona in the Big Sky Conference Tournament.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Idaho State wasted no time setting the tone early. Martin Kheil opened the scoring with a three-pointer, assisted by Connor Hollenbeck, as the Bengals quickly established control of the pace.
The Bengals continued to build momentum through aggressive rebounding and second-chance opportunities. Louis Bond scored back-to-back baskets inside to stretch the early advantage, and Hollenbeck later knocked down a three-pointer before converting a fast-break dunk to push Idaho State's lead into double digits midway through the first half.
A three-pointer from Gus Etchison ignited the Idaho State crowd as the Bengals extended the lead to 15. Bond added another strong finish inside, while Lachlan Brewer contributed key baskets late in the half to help Idaho State close the opening period on a surge.
The Bengals carried a commanding 45-30 lead into halftime.
Northern Arizona attempted to chip away at the deficit in the second half, trimming the margin to single digits late in the game. However, Idaho State responded each time with key defensive rebounds and timely baskets.
Hollenbeck continued to dominate the paint, scoring inside and controlling the boards as the Bengals maintained their advantage. With under six minutes remaining, Hollenbeck drilled a clutch three-pointer to extend Idaho State's lead back to double digits and halt the Lumberjacks' momentum.
Down the stretch, Idaho State calmly converted free throws to seal the 73-65 victory and advance in the conference tournament.
PLAYER STATS
Connor Hollenbeck delivered one of the best performances of his career, recording his third career double-double with 17 points and a career-high 13 rebounds while adding four assists.
Louis Bond provided a major spark alongside him, finishing with 13 points and eight rebounds while making an impact on both ends of the floor in the true freshman's first career start.
Martin Kheil added nine points with two three-pointers, Evan Otten produced six points, six rebounds, and one block in one of his best looking games of the season, and Jamison Guerra would end with one point, one rebound, and one assist.
Lachlan Brewer scored nine points off the bench to go along with three rebounds and a steal. Caleb Van De Griend contributed nine points, five rebounds, and one steal in 22 minutes of action.
Gus Etchison chipped in seven points, three rebounds, and two assists, and Blake Daberkow added two points, one rebound, one steal, and one assist in limited minutes.
TEAM STATS
Idaho State shot 42.6 percent from the field (26-of-61) and 38.9 percent from three-point range (7-of-18), shooting 6-of-11 from deep in the first half alone. The Bengals did struggle at the free-throw line, shooting a season-low 51.9% (14-of-27). Idaho State ended the game with 45 rebounds, 11 assists, four steals, one block, and 11 turnovers committed.
The story of the game came on the glass, where Idaho State dominated Northern Arizona 45-26 in total rebounds and grabbed 20 offensive rebounds, leading to 23 second-chance points.
The Bengals also received strong production from their bench, which contributed 27 points in the victory.
Northern Arizona would finish their evening shooting 44.4 percent (24-of-54) from the field, 20.0 (4-of-20) percent from deep, and 72.2 percent from the charity stripe (13-of-18). The Lumberjacks ended the contest with 26 rebounds, 18 assists, seven steals, five blocks, and nine turnovers committed.
BENGAL BITES
• Head coach Ryan Looney is now 3-0 against Northern Arizona in the Big Sky Conference Tournament.
• Connor Hollenbeck recorded his third career double-double with 17 points and a career-high 13 rebounds.
• Idaho State dominated the glass, outrebounding Northern Arizona 45-26.
• The Bengals collected 20 offensive rebounds and scored 23 second-chance points.
• Louis Bond added 13 points and eight rebounds in a strong all-around performance.
UP NEXT
Idaho State will now continue its run in the Big Sky Conference Tournament as the Bengals look to carry their momentum into the second round tomorrow evening against the top-seeded Portland State Vikings.
