Idaho State 75, Southern Utah 65
Find the game recap here.At this point of the season, Idaho State could not have been in a more must-win-or-the-season-for-all-practical-purposes is over. The Bengals had to stretch Southern Utah's losing streak to 22 games considering how stiff the schedule is the next few weeks.
Star of the game: Chris Hansen. The game article uses a lot of ink on how seniors Andre Hatchett and Tomas Sanchez came alive in the second half, helping Idaho State recover from a one-point halftime deficit.
Where Hatchett and Sanchez had to raise their games, Hansen started well from the opening tip. Hansen scored in double figures both halves on the way to 22 points.
Fifteen of those 22 came from five 3-pointers and Hansen had three 2-pointers. Those 2s are the biggest reason Hansen is one of the Big Sky's leading scorers (entering the game with SUU, Hansen was fifth in the league at 16.7 ppg).
Hansen's greatest skill is as a long-distance shooter but he's taken steps to develop a better all-around offensive game.
“I worked a lot on my ball handling over the summer and doing that kind of stuff allows me to do that," Hansen said after the SUU game. "I’m still not very good at it but I think I’m getting better. And I think I’m going to continue to work on it, because I have to have that.
“I need to have them respect not just my 3-point shot but my entire game.”
“I need to have them respect not just my 3-point shot but my entire game.”
Idaho State head coach Bill Evans added: “He’s gotten better. He’s worked hard and he’s deserved to play well. Some guys don’t deserve to play well. He deserves it. He works hard to get better.”
On another note: Evans led Southern Utah's men's basketball program 1992 through 2007, accumulating 209 victories. Evans is the winningest coach in SUU men's basketball history.
Evans, however, says beating Southern Utah back in Cedar City, Utah, is nothing special.
“I have no animosity toward Southern Utah," Evans said. "I don’t want to win anymore here than I want to win at Montana. I’ve got a lot of fond memories here. These people treated me great. I want to kick their butt every game.”
To reiterate the point, though, Evans wants to kick everybody's butt.
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