Jenna Larson
Idaho State University Sports Information
SEATTLE, Wash. – The Idaho State women’s basketball team defeated Seattle 74-69 at Seattle in its opening game of the 2017-18 season. The Bengals shot 43 percent from the floor including 47 percent from beyond the arc to earn the win.
“I’m really proud of our team for bouncing back after a tough loss,” Head Coach Seton Sobolewski said. “We still have some work to do with our chemistry on the floor and incorporating our new players into the system, but it’s always a positive when you don’t play your best and still find a way to win.”
The Bengals finished with four players in double figures, led by sophomore guard Estefania Ors with 19 points and 10 rebounds for her first career double-double. Senior guard Brooke Blair added 16 points and four assists while Sai Tapasa added career-highs with 15 points and 12 rebounds for her first career double-double. Grace Kenyon rounded out the double-figure scoring with 12 points.
It was a back-and-forth contest that featured five ties and 10 lead changes in which neither team led by more than seven points. Idaho State (1-0) won the rebounding battle 47-36 and forced Seattle (0-1) to shoot under 40 percent for the contest at 36.5 percent. Idaho State’s depth also proved to be a difference-maker in its opening contest as the Bengals bench finished with 21 points to Seattle’s four.
The Bengals opened the first period with a trey from Blair just 15 seconds into the game, but the Redhawks went on a 9-3 run to take a 9-6 lead just over two minutes into the contest. Seattle led by as many as six points in the opening period but Idaho State was able to cut away at the Redhawks’ lead and trailed by four at the close of the period, 23-19.
In the second period, the Bengals finished 10-of-16 from the field to shoot 62.5 percent from the floor while forcing Seattle to shoot just 38 percent. Idaho State outscored the Redhawks 27-22 to take a one-point lead heading into the break, 46-45.
Both squads kept the game close, with neither team leading by more than five points until a free throw from Tapasa with 1:58 remaining in the fourth gave the Bengals a six-point lead, 70-64. Idaho State kept Seattle at bay for the remainder of the game to earn the five-point win, 74-69.
Seattle was led by forward Alexis Montgomery with a game-high 31 points off 13-of-23 from the floor including 6-of-11 from the free-throw line. Kamira Sanders and Jacinta Beckley also finished in double-figures for the Redhawks with 15 and 10 points respectively while Madeline Dopplick added a game-high five assists.
The Bengals continue play on the road Sunday, Nov. 12 at Washington. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. MST in Seattle, Washington.
