POCATELLO, Idaho – For 39 minutes and 30 seconds, the Idaho State Bengals and the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos played an extremely evenly matched game, with 15 Ties and 16 lead changes over the game.
With 30 seconds left, and overtime looking like a real possibility, the Bengals dug deep inside and found a way to pull away.
With 30.2 seconds on the clock, Maria Dias stepped up to the free-throw line. With ice in her veins, the Bengal drained two shots from the stripe and put the Bengals up 66-63 with little time remaining on the clock.
Earlier in the quarter, Dias had another huge moment for the Orange and Black. In a game that had so many back-and-forth plays, the Gauchos drove the court and hit a huge three-pointer to go up three. Staring down the deficit, Dias immediately responded, getting the ball and draining a trey of her own. The Bengal crowd was deafening and the team kept fighting.
Where the game was won for the Bengals was on the free throw line, Idaho State shot 19-of-21 from the free throw line, a staggering 90.5 percent, which in an evenly-matched back and forth game, made the difference.
The Bengal defense also stepped up at the end of the game holding the Gauchos scoreless over the final 1:17 of the game as the Bengals continued to press.
Bengal Bites
· 90.5 percent from the free throw line is the most for the Bengals in a game with 10+ made free throws since the Bengals went 10-for-10 against the Montana Lady Griz on 12/30/2021.
· Laura Bello hit her first double-double of the season a 14 point, 11 rebound effort. This is the 3rd double-double of the season for the Bengals.
· For the 3rd game in a row, the Bengals have not been outrebounded, today grabbing 40 boards to UCSB's 37.
· In Evidence of how close the match was, the Bengals and Gauchos both shot 39 percent from the field and 38 percent from the three-point line. The difference came at the charity stripe with the Bengals hitting 90 percent and the Gauchos only 64 percent.
· Tasia Jordan led the Bengals in scoring with sixteen points on six FGs and a perfect 4-of-4 from the free throw line. Jordan is now averaging 14 points a game for the Bengals.
Next Up
Next up the Bengals hit the road, first, to take on Arizona State. Then, the Bengals head to the sunshine state for the Rainbow Wahine Classic hosted by the University of Hawaii. The Bengals will face off against Hawaii, Washington and Air Force.
