Bobcats Spot Bengals Early Lead in Valentine’s Day Loss

Thursday, February 14

BOZEMAN

7 p.m.

Montana State University

12-12, 7-7BSC

Idaho State

16-7, 11-3BSC

Team	1	2	3	4	F
Idaho State	20	16	12	14	62
Montana State	10	18	12	9	49

Madeline Smith moves the ball around for the Bobcats on Thursday night.

Photo by: Andrew Pedersen

Bobcats Spot Bengals Early Lead in Valentine’s Day Loss

2/14/2019 10:01:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Montana State was paced by Martell with a team-high 12 points, while Madeline Smith and Halle Wright added 11, apiece.

By: Tom Schulz

BOZEMAN, Mont. – Idaho State showed no love jumping out to a ten-point advantage after the opening quarter and held the margin throughout the remainder of the game to notch a 62-49 win over Montana State on Thursday night in Worthington Arena.

"Defensively, we were not ready to go," said MSU head coach Tricia Binford. "We had a great week of practice on the defensive end, but tonight we underachieved."

Idaho State (16-7, 11-3) built its largest lead of the game at 34-15 at the 3:06 mark of the second period, before Montana State (12-12, 7-7) closed out the frame on a 13-2 run sparked by Tori Martell's nine-point outburst.

The Bengals took a 36-28 advantage into intermission.

The Bobcats whittled the lead down to 44-40 at the 3:13 mark of the third quarter on an Oliana Squires' jumper. However, four turnovers, two missed shots and a pair of ISU free throws following a MSU bench technical gave the Bengals a 10-point margin to start the final quarter.

Idaho State opened the final frame on an 8-1 run and never looked back.

"Offensively, we need to be more attack-minded," Binford said. "I thought we forced the ball too much and you can't afford to give a team like Idaho State extra possessions."

Montana State was paced by Martell with a team-high 12 points, while Madeline Smith and Halle Wright added 11, apiece.

Estefania Ors, who got ISU out the gates early with four 3-pointers in the opening 20-minutes, finished with a game-high 16 points, while Grace Kenyon and Delaney Moore added 15 and ten points, respectively.

ISU shot 47.9 percent for the game, including a red-hot 66.7 percent in the first quarter.

The Bobcats shot 37.5 percent from the floor and got progressively better in the second and third quarters before going ice-cold in the final period connecting on just three-of-12 from the field.

The Bengals also won the battle of the boards, out-rebounding MSU 30-26. The Bobcats, who held a two rebound advantage at halftime, were led by Martha Kuderer and Wright with seven and five boards, respectively.

Montana State will host Weber State on Saturday at 2 p.m. in Worthington Arena.