Idaho State vs Carroll College post-game blog

Doug Lindley/Idaho State Journal

Idaho State 77, Carroll College 50

For a full game recap, click here.


And check out this photo gallery (just scroll down till you find it. Sadly, I can't provide a link directly to the gallery).

Star of the game: Idaho State’s patience. In chilly Holt Arena, Carroll’s game plan was clear from the start: Keep the run of play at a glacial pace and avoid turnovers, a strategy that worked for about 10 minutes.
    A member of the NAIA, Carroll doesn’t have the athletes with skill to hang with a Division I team, and against Idaho State’s zone defense they worked hard to gobble up a majority of the 35-second shot clock before even starting to look at the basket. A game that finished in the 40s was one they could compete in.
    Without question, facing that kind of offense is frustrating. ISU players had to sit back, stay in the system and let their opportunities come. Eventually, they did and the Bengals raced to a 36-19 halftime lead after the game was tied 9-9 about nine and a half minutes in.
    The Bengals finished the game with 14 steals, nine of those in the opening 20 minutes and that’s what blew open the game.
    These stats are only updated through Dec. 1, but Idaho State is fourth in the country with 10.8 steals per game. It’s a big reason the Bengals have a 3-2 record and are averaging 79.6 points per game.

Star of the game No. 2: Evann Hall. Hall entered off the bench to score 14 points in 17 minutes. He shot 6-of-8 from the field and 2-of-3 from the 3-point line where the Saints dared him to shoot.
    I mentioned how turnovers helped spark ISU’s first-half run. Hall was part of that, too. He had nine of his 14 points in that first half. He entered the game with a scoring mindset and that’s a valuable asset for the Bengals and head coach Bill Evans to have.
    Think of Hall as the prototypical sixth man for Idaho State. When he’s on the floor, he’s looking to score and he’s hyper aggressive.

On another note: I’m told Sage Burmeister could join the men’s basketball team but it’s his choice. Burmeister went home for Thanksgiving and since he’s been back, he has worked out with the football team.
    As far as I know the freshman from La Jolla, Calif., hasn’t gone to the basketball team to talk about joining the squad. As a gut feeling, I think Burmeister, who was a redshirt wide receiver for the football team, will choose to concentrate on football. I’ll pass along anything more I hear.