Denim Millward
Sports Editor
The Idaho State women’s basketball team is undoubtedly looking forward to returning home from last week’s road trip comprised of two games that couldn’t have been more different.
The Bengals faced off against the Sacramento State Hornets Jan. 22 in Sacramento in the first of two away games.
Having gone 3-3 in their previous six games, the Bengals looked to tilt the results of the stretch in favor of the win column.
Unfortunately for Idaho State, arguably its worst half of basketball all season would prevent that.
Despite ultimately shooting at a better percentage than the Hornets, the Bengals faced a whopping 31-point deficit at halftime, trailing Sacramento State 48-19.
The Bengals were forced into 21 first-half turnovers on the way to committing a total of 33 turnovers for the game, of which the Hornets scored 39 points.
“I think we really showed our youth tonight,” head coach Seton Sobolewski said to ISU Sports Information following the loss. “Sacramento State is playing at a really high level right now. They’re intensive, they’re aggressive and they can sustain the high level because of all of their substitutions.”
After the lop-sided first half, the Bengals regained some of their composure and matched Sac State’s second-half scoring total of 35 points.
Junior guard Apiphany Woods was one of the few bright spots for the Bengals, tying her career-high scoring mark with 23 points on 11-14 shooting. The Chicago native and junior college transfer’s impact, as it does in almost every game, stood out.
“She played great,” Sobolewski said of Woods to ISU Sports Information. “She was intense and she was into it. She did a great job of preparing herself for this game. I am very proud of the effort she put in.”
Sobolewski’s praise for Woods didn’t end there, even after the one-sided defeat.
“I think she is one of the top newcomers in this conference if not the best,” said Sobolewski.
Luckily for the Bengals, the results of the following game against Portland State were the exact opposite, though at first it looked like anything but.
The Bengals got off to a rough start against Portland State Jan. 24 in Portland, trailing the Vikings early 13-2.
Though they still trailed by as many as eight late in the first half, Idaho State forward Anna Lee Policicchio scored 11 of her 18 points in the first half to cut the Viking’s lead to a single point at halftime.
Down 29-28 entering the second half, Woods gave the Bengals the lead for good with a shot just 11 seconds in.
Portland State kept it a game for the bulk of the second half, cutting what was once an 11-point lead to just four with four minutes to play.
Redshirt freshman Grace Kenyon gave the Bengals some breathing room, hitting a three to extend the Bengal lead to 7.
“Their zone defense was a complete surprise to us; they played it the whole game,” Sobolewski said of Portland State’s defensive strategy to ISU Sports Information following the game. “I think it was just a part of the slow start because we hadn’t been practicing for it. I am happy with the way we eventually adjusted.”
In addition to Policicchio’s team-high 18 points, Woods recorded her first career double-double, scoring 12 points and dishing out 10 assists. The 10 assists was the most by an ISU women’s basketball player since 2010, when Andrea Videbeck, who is now an assistant coach on Sobolewski’s staff, recorded 12 against Montana State.
After the road trip, the Bengals move to 4-4 in the Big Sky Conference and 9-10 overall.
They return to action Jan. 28 in Reed Gym against Northern Colorado, and will then host North Dakota at Reed Gym two days later.
