So how’s your bracket?
Mutilated? Covered in red? Garbage? Forgotten?
Kenny Knowles of Lava Hot Springs sent the Journal a copy of his handwritten, filled-out 2014 NCAA Tournament bracket and he went chalk with his picks.
With Florida, Virginia, Wisconsin and Michigan, Knowles tabbed a couple No. 1 seeds and two No. 2’s to claw their way to the Final Four. Knowles had three upsets in the second round, 10th-seeded Stanford over seventh-seeded New Mexico (nailed it), Pittsburgh over Colorado (right on) but he whiffed on Nebraska over Baylor. Knowles was hot on Stanford to start but he didn’t pull the trigger for the Cardinals to beat Kansas. But, hey, I didn’t even have Stanford beating New Mexico to start with.
This year’s tournament was a departure from what I had done in 2013 when I refused to fill out a bracket because I always end up rooting for my picks rather than stunning upsets. Example No. 1: Mercer 78, Duke 71. I harbor no love for Duke, Jabari Parker or the ageless Mike Krzyzewski, but with Duke in my Elite 8, the Mercer upset had me feeling blue.
Knowles had Duke in the Sweet 16 and, of course, he’s pulling for his bracket, too, but he wasn’t too down that Parker scored 14 points in the loss. “It didn’t upset me,” he said, “because I’m not that fond of Duke.”
Even if Knowles did blunder on a few picks (like every other person on the planet) he’ll continue watching today when the tourney ramps back up. He’s got eight teams left and his Final Four remains intact, including the tournament favorite and Knowles’ pick to win the entire thing, the Florida Gators.
How confident is Knowles in his championship pick? Eh, sort of down the middle. Arizona has looked mighty impressive, he says. Besides, Knowles is too smart to just assume the favorite is going to win the whole thing anyway. He knows from personal experience.
In 1957, he was a 6-foot-1 forward playing for the North Gem Cowboys. The Cowboys from Bancroft were District 5 champions and jetted off to the class B state tournament with a 13-5 record. They weren’t the favorites. The media liked the undefeated Rathdrum Pirates from up north. Rathdrum was 16-0, tall, athletic and had a first-round bye after taking District 1.
Held in Reed Gym for the first time in its history, North Gem romped to a 57-40 victory over what the Idaho State Journal wrote was a “lethargic Notus team in the nearest thing to a tournament upset.” In the semifinal, the Cowboys whipped Mackay 71-48. Knowles poured in 10 points.
In the title tilt, Rathdrum, the heavy favorite, wasn’t waiting. It was District 5 rival American Falls, who had upset Rathdrum 45-37.
So 2,500 fans — most either a Cowboy or a Beaver — crammed into Reed to watch North Gem hold off American Falls 43-38 for the championship. Guard Monte Charles ripped the Beavers for 19 points. The same day, Pocatello High won the Class A title, its first since 1942.
Since high school, Knowles worked construction, moved to Lava with his wife and now spends part of his retirement watching his granddaughters play for North Gem. He doesn’t miss a game.
And Knowles checks out as much of the NCAA Tournament as he can. The drama never gets old. He’s hoping Florida lives up to its hype. Knowles has the Gators taking down Michigan 78-64 in the final.
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Get ready for ISU’s brand new rivalry
Rivalries are some of the best things about college sports. What’s better than when two programs clash on the court or field and the animosity between the players and fans is palpable?
Recently, fan conduct has come under dispute after some incidents at Texas Tech (the Marcus Smart shove) and Utah Valley (player vs. fan on-court nightmare) have raised the issue that there should be a modicum of basic human kindness expected between fans, players and coaches. But when kept in check, the feelings of contempt and dislike that seep out from a great rivalry are a thing of beauty. I grew up in a land where one of the best in sports resides.
It doesn’t have the attention of the Alabama-Auburn, UCLA-USC or BYU-Utah, but Montana State and Montana is just like all those celebrated matchups. The Bobcats despise the hippie ground Grizzlies stand on and Grizzlies cover their noses around the ’Cats, fearful they could take in a whiff of manure from the state’s Ag school.
Favorite Montana State joke: What do you get when you cross a groundhog and a Bobcat? Six more weeks of bad football.
Favorite Montana joke: What's the difference between a Montana Grizzly fan and a carp? One is a bottom-feeding, scum sucker, and the other is a fish.
That sort of in-state hate penetrates the atmosphere everywhere in Montana, whether it’s football in the fall or track and field in the spring. Any athlete in Bozeman or Missoula understands that when you meet the “other school,” you had better win.
It’s the sort of rivalry I’ve thought Idaho State is missing. The Bengals have Weber State to direct some animosity toward, sure, but I’ve never sensed an overriding hostility between the Bengals and Wildcats where a win or loss defines their entire season.
I do think one could form, though, and it’s between Idaho State and Idaho. The Vandals are rejoining the Big Sky this fall in all sports but football. Granted, all of the rivals I’ve mentioned have included the all-important pigskin as a defining part of the tradition. But there are some interesting story lines between the Bengals and Vandals that I’m not willing to dismiss just because they won’t meet on the gridiron.
It starts with women’s basketball.
The Idaho women face Louisville this Sunday in the opening round of the women’s NCAA tournament. As a No. 14 seed, the Vandals will travel about 1,300 miles to Iowa City, Iowa, for the game. Louisville is 30-4, ranked fourth in the latest Associated Press top-25 poll and is 385 miles (as birds fly) removed from Iowa City.
The Cardinals are attempting to reach the Final Four for the second straight season after upsetting Baylor a year ago along the way to the title game. Under head coach Jeff Walz, Louisville is 5-0 in the NCAA First Round. President Obama filled out a bracket and he has Louisville making it to the national semifinals.
Let me just get to the point — Idaho isn’t beating Louisville. But that’s not what’s important here. The Vandals are going to the NCAA tournament for the third time in the school’s history. Under head coach Jon Newlee, Idaho has won 42 games the past two seasons.
As Newlee leads his troops against the Cardinals, he’s a few short weeks removed from the six-year mark of when he stepped down as the head coach at Idaho State. At the time he was the winningest coach in the program’s history with 93 victories.
He left for Moscow when the Vandals were coming off a 4-25 season and his raise was nominal. But Idaho State was dealing with an $800,00 budget shortfall and current ISU athletic director Jeff Tingey was wearing an interim tag. Newlee cited that the “instability” played a role in his decision to move on after coaching in Pocatello for six years.
Plus, Newlee said he preferred Idaho’s athletic facilities. In a April 16, 2008 article in the Idaho State Journal, Newlee said, “Their facilities are in place. They’ve done a great job with their BCS money they got, and their facilities are tremendous. The women’s locker room is unbelievable. What they’ve done to the Kibbie Dome is great.”
It was a rough time for Idaho State athletics. The budget was a major issue, there was no permanent athletic director in place and ISU was already in need of a volleyball coach.
Of course, things have turned out all right for both sides. Tingey took over as Idaho State’s athletic director and hired Seton Sobolewski, who has since overtaken Newlee as the winningest coach in Bengal women’s basketball history. Sobolewski hit win No. 100 in a quarterfinal victory last week against Eastern Washington in the Big Sky postseason tournament. ISU has invested in its own basketball facilities, too, upgrading the women’s basketball locker room in 2012.
And with Idaho’s grand facilities, Newlee has won back-to-back WAC championships. But you have to imagine Newlee will still want to clobber Idaho State. He moved on. He moved up to a bigger, “better” program — remember? For Bengal fans, what’s better than beating in the brains of your old winningest coach who spurned you for the school up north with your new winningest coach?
Football or not, that’s an awfully good start for the kind of rival Idaho State can use.
Recently, fan conduct has come under dispute after some incidents at Texas Tech (the Marcus Smart shove) and Utah Valley (player vs. fan on-court nightmare) have raised the issue that there should be a modicum of basic human kindness expected between fans, players and coaches. But when kept in check, the feelings of contempt and dislike that seep out from a great rivalry are a thing of beauty. I grew up in a land where one of the best in sports resides.
It doesn’t have the attention of the Alabama-Auburn, UCLA-USC or BYU-Utah, but Montana State and Montana is just like all those celebrated matchups. The Bobcats despise the hippie ground Grizzlies stand on and Grizzlies cover their noses around the ’Cats, fearful they could take in a whiff of manure from the state’s Ag school.
Favorite Montana State joke: What do you get when you cross a groundhog and a Bobcat? Six more weeks of bad football.
Favorite Montana joke: What's the difference between a Montana Grizzly fan and a carp? One is a bottom-feeding, scum sucker, and the other is a fish.
That sort of in-state hate penetrates the atmosphere everywhere in Montana, whether it’s football in the fall or track and field in the spring. Any athlete in Bozeman or Missoula understands that when you meet the “other school,” you had better win.
It’s the sort of rivalry I’ve thought Idaho State is missing. The Bengals have Weber State to direct some animosity toward, sure, but I’ve never sensed an overriding hostility between the Bengals and Wildcats where a win or loss defines their entire season.
I do think one could form, though, and it’s between Idaho State and Idaho. The Vandals are rejoining the Big Sky this fall in all sports but football. Granted, all of the rivals I’ve mentioned have included the all-important pigskin as a defining part of the tradition. But there are some interesting story lines between the Bengals and Vandals that I’m not willing to dismiss just because they won’t meet on the gridiron.
It starts with women’s basketball.
The Idaho women face Louisville this Sunday in the opening round of the women’s NCAA tournament. As a No. 14 seed, the Vandals will travel about 1,300 miles to Iowa City, Iowa, for the game. Louisville is 30-4, ranked fourth in the latest Associated Press top-25 poll and is 385 miles (as birds fly) removed from Iowa City.
The Cardinals are attempting to reach the Final Four for the second straight season after upsetting Baylor a year ago along the way to the title game. Under head coach Jeff Walz, Louisville is 5-0 in the NCAA First Round. President Obama filled out a bracket and he has Louisville making it to the national semifinals.
Let me just get to the point — Idaho isn’t beating Louisville. But that’s not what’s important here. The Vandals are going to the NCAA tournament for the third time in the school’s history. Under head coach Jon Newlee, Idaho has won 42 games the past two seasons.
As Newlee leads his troops against the Cardinals, he’s a few short weeks removed from the six-year mark of when he stepped down as the head coach at Idaho State. At the time he was the winningest coach in the program’s history with 93 victories.
He left for Moscow when the Vandals were coming off a 4-25 season and his raise was nominal. But Idaho State was dealing with an $800,00 budget shortfall and current ISU athletic director Jeff Tingey was wearing an interim tag. Newlee cited that the “instability” played a role in his decision to move on after coaching in Pocatello for six years.
Plus, Newlee said he preferred Idaho’s athletic facilities. In a April 16, 2008 article in the Idaho State Journal, Newlee said, “Their facilities are in place. They’ve done a great job with their BCS money they got, and their facilities are tremendous. The women’s locker room is unbelievable. What they’ve done to the Kibbie Dome is great.”
It was a rough time for Idaho State athletics. The budget was a major issue, there was no permanent athletic director in place and ISU was already in need of a volleyball coach.
Of course, things have turned out all right for both sides. Tingey took over as Idaho State’s athletic director and hired Seton Sobolewski, who has since overtaken Newlee as the winningest coach in Bengal women’s basketball history. Sobolewski hit win No. 100 in a quarterfinal victory last week against Eastern Washington in the Big Sky postseason tournament. ISU has invested in its own basketball facilities, too, upgrading the women’s basketball locker room in 2012.
And with Idaho’s grand facilities, Newlee has won back-to-back WAC championships. But you have to imagine Newlee will still want to clobber Idaho State. He moved on. He moved up to a bigger, “better” program — remember? For Bengal fans, what’s better than beating in the brains of your old winningest coach who spurned you for the school up north with your new winningest coach?
Football or not, that’s an awfully good start for the kind of rival Idaho State can use.
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Big Sky rankings — conference tournament edition
Just about every single time the committee (of one) has predicted something in this column, we’ve been proven wrong to the point of embarrassment.
But in the final rankings of the year, why stop now?
Quarterfinal predictions for the 2014 Big Sky Men’s Basketball Championship: North Dakota over Sacramento State, Northern Colorado over Northern Arizona and Montana over Portland State.
Semifinal predictions: Montana over North Dakota and Weber State over Northern Colorado.
Final prediction: Weber State exorcises its championship-game demons and defeats Montana 71-66 for the Big Sky title.
Without further ado.
1. Weber State 17-11, 14-6
Last week: No. 1
The regular season champs closed out the regular season with a 66-59 loss at Portland State before bouncing back to knock off Eastern Washington 82-78.
What the committee (of one) will remember most about the 2013-14 Wildcats: Two things: Randy Rahe isn’t a big guy, but, man, would we ever hate to stand on the receiving end of his icy coaching glare.
The second thing we’ll look back on is how fun it was to watch senior guard Davion Berry evolve into one of the league’s very best. Berry’s 19.2 points and 4.5 rebounds are nice. And the fact that he led the Wildcats in assists is impressive, too. But what stood out for us was the way Berry understood the game’s inherent ebbs and flows.
When Weber State lost to Idaho State in Pocatello, Berry took over the game for WSU. Yes, the Wildcats lost in overtime to the Bengals, but where would they have been without their senior leader? It’s a special thing to watch a player actively insert his will onto a game, and Berry did it with regularity his final season in Ogden.
2. North Dakota 15-15, 12-8
Last week: No. 2
North Dakota held off Northern Colorado 94-90 in frigid Grand Forks, N.D., and then fell to Southern Utah 77-71 on the road.
What the committee will remember most about the 2013-14 mascot-less: As a team, UND has a skill few others possess in the Big Sky. With guys like Troy Huff, Jaron Nash, Aaron Anderson and Jamal Webb, North Dakota can score. Perhaps most importantly, the mascot-less can put up buckets on the road.
The Big Sky’s top five teams all won at least four road games in the league. Everybody else won three or less and in a league when teams won 69 percent the time, the ability to win in an opponent’s gym was essential.
3. Northern Arizona 15-16, 12-8
Last week: No. 4
The Lumberjacks finished the season at home, beating Montana State 61-48 and Montana 67-47.
What the committee will remember most about the 2013-14 Lumberjacks: That sophomore guard DeWayne Russell, a guy who was supposed to be a central building block of the program, left right before the season started and — still — Northern Arizona rebounded from a brutal nonconference schedule (NAU lost eight of its first 11 games) to claim the postseason’s third seed.
We’ve written it before but we’re happy to do it again: Jack Murphy is our 2013-14 Big Sky Coach of the Year.
4. Montana 17-12, 12-8
Last week: No. 3
Montana whipped Sacramento State on its home floor 70-55 and then lost to Northern Arizona (67-47) for the second time this season.
What the committee will remember most about the 2013-14 Grizzlies: That they are vulnerable. Considering coach Wayne Tinkle and Montana had won back-to-back championships while losing a grand total of two conference games since 2010-11, we were halfway convinced the Grizzlies were invincible.
5. Portland State 16-13, 11-9
Last week: No. 5
Portland State earned its way into the Big Sky tournament with home wins over Weber State (66-59) and Idaho State (78-74, overtime).
What the committee will remember most about the 2013-14 Vikings: At least two separate times, we wrote off Portland State, convinced the Vikings’ guard-heavy lineup couldn’t win on the road or consistently enough at home to make the conference tourney.
After a Feb. 15 loss in Portland, Ore., to Sacramento State, Portland State was 6-8 in the league and about to head out for a four-game road trip. But PSU slugged its way to the postseason by winning five of its last six, including wins at Eastern Washington and Northern Colorado. Head coach Tyler Geving deserves a lot of praise.
6. Northern Colorado 17-12, 11-9
Last week: No. 10
On the road, UNC lost to North Dakota 94-90 and beat Southern Utah 77-52.
What the committee will remember most about the 2013-14 Bears: Northern Colorado might have the best, top-to-bottom talent on its roster in the Big Sky. With a guy controlling the middle (senior forward Derrick Barden), shooters everywhere (Tate Unruh, Jordan Wilson, Tim Huskisson) and a deep bench (nine players average at least 13 minutes a game), the Bears were poised to win the regular season title with a 7-1 start in the league.
But as Northern Colorado’s defense slowly slipped down the conference rankings (the Bears allowed 72.5 ppg in Big Sky play, finishing eighth), UNC ended the year on a 4-8 slide.
7. Sacramento State 14-15, 10-10
Last week: No. 9
Despite losing to Montana by 15 points at home (70-55), Sacramento State snuck in at the final spot of the Big Sky tournament by downing hapless Montana State 84-59.
What the committee will remember most about the 2013-14 Hornets: That Mikh McKinney is the quickest college player we’ve ever seen in person. The junior point guard, a first-team all-Big Sky selection, can get anywhere on the floor whenever he wants. He’s dynamic and we can’t wait to see what he does as a senior.
8. Eastern Washington 15-16, 10-10
Last week: No. 6
Eastern Washington defeated Idaho State 77-69 in Cheney, Wash., but could not take care of Weber State, falling to the Wildcats 82-78, ending EWU’s season.
What the committee will remember most about the 2013-14 Eagles: Tyler Harvey, Eastern’s sophomore guard, is an elite scorer, doing a majority of his damage from 3. But the Torrance, Calif., native didn’t average 21.8 points a game by merely hitting shots from the perimeter. Harvey has just enough of a game off the bounce to keep teams honest and he’s money from the free-throw line (89.7 percent).
That’s what we’ll remember from Eastern Washington, Harvey’s brilliance on the offensive end.
9. Montana State 14-17, 9-11
Last week: No. 7
In a week Bobcat fans would like to dream never happened, Montana State lost at Montana, Northern Arizona and Sacramento State and for the first time in eight years, MSU did not qualify for the Big Sky tournament.
What the committee will remember most about the 2013-14 Bobcats: The way that Idaho State fans got after sophomore guard Marcus Colbert. Montana State lost to the Bengals in Pocatello 69-64 but Colbert had one of the best games of his career. For Idaho State, Colbert quickly became enemy No. 1. Every time he touched the ball, Bengal fans chanted, “Air ball, air ball, air ball,” never letting Colbert forget one of his 17 shots never touched iron.
Colbert seemed to relish the attention, ripping ISU for 23 points and five assists. For all the talk of poor crowd behavior at sporting events — and there’s plenty of that — this was an example where fans perfectly toed the line, creating a hostile atmosphere without actually being hostile. Chanting “air ball” at Colbert was fun, and his response to the treatment was even better.
10. Idaho State 11-18, 8-12
Last week: No. 8
Idaho State finished 2-13 on the road, falling to Eastern Washington 77-69 and Portland State 78-74 in overtime.
What the committee will remember most about the 2013-14 Bengals: It’s hard not to focus on all the close losses, but Tomas Sanchez’s fierce effort on the floor is what we’ll remember most.
Sanchez, a senior point guard, averaged 39.2 minutes a game during the conference season, playing 785 out of a possible 800 minutes in 20 conference games. The way he held up over the entire season to finish eighth in the Big Sky in scoring (15.1 ppg), third in assists (4.2 a game) and fourth in steals (1.5 a game) is a testament to his conditioning and toughness.
But the fact Sanchez had to play so much is a major reason why Idaho State finished three games out of the conference tournament.
11. Southern Utah 2-27, 1-19
Last week: No. 11
The Thunderbirds snapped a 26-game losing streak by beating North Dakota 77-71. Southern Utah responded to its lone win of the season versus a Division I opponent by losing to Northern Colorado 77-52.
What the committee will remember most about the 2013-14 Thunderbirds: Absolutely nothing. Southern Utah asked that from this point forward the 2013-14 season is referred to as the season-that-shall-not-be-remembered. We’re happy to oblige.
But in the final rankings of the year, why stop now?
Quarterfinal predictions for the 2014 Big Sky Men’s Basketball Championship: North Dakota over Sacramento State, Northern Colorado over Northern Arizona and Montana over Portland State.
Semifinal predictions: Montana over North Dakota and Weber State over Northern Colorado.
Final prediction: Weber State exorcises its championship-game demons and defeats Montana 71-66 for the Big Sky title.
Without further ado.
1. Weber State 17-11, 14-6
Last week: No. 1
The regular season champs closed out the regular season with a 66-59 loss at Portland State before bouncing back to knock off Eastern Washington 82-78.
What the committee (of one) will remember most about the 2013-14 Wildcats: Two things: Randy Rahe isn’t a big guy, but, man, would we ever hate to stand on the receiving end of his icy coaching glare.
The second thing we’ll look back on is how fun it was to watch senior guard Davion Berry evolve into one of the league’s very best. Berry’s 19.2 points and 4.5 rebounds are nice. And the fact that he led the Wildcats in assists is impressive, too. But what stood out for us was the way Berry understood the game’s inherent ebbs and flows.
When Weber State lost to Idaho State in Pocatello, Berry took over the game for WSU. Yes, the Wildcats lost in overtime to the Bengals, but where would they have been without their senior leader? It’s a special thing to watch a player actively insert his will onto a game, and Berry did it with regularity his final season in Ogden.
2. North Dakota 15-15, 12-8
Last week: No. 2
North Dakota held off Northern Colorado 94-90 in frigid Grand Forks, N.D., and then fell to Southern Utah 77-71 on the road.
What the committee will remember most about the 2013-14 mascot-less: As a team, UND has a skill few others possess in the Big Sky. With guys like Troy Huff, Jaron Nash, Aaron Anderson and Jamal Webb, North Dakota can score. Perhaps most importantly, the mascot-less can put up buckets on the road.
The Big Sky’s top five teams all won at least four road games in the league. Everybody else won three or less and in a league when teams won 69 percent the time, the ability to win in an opponent’s gym was essential.
3. Northern Arizona 15-16, 12-8
Last week: No. 4
The Lumberjacks finished the season at home, beating Montana State 61-48 and Montana 67-47.
What the committee will remember most about the 2013-14 Lumberjacks: That sophomore guard DeWayne Russell, a guy who was supposed to be a central building block of the program, left right before the season started and — still — Northern Arizona rebounded from a brutal nonconference schedule (NAU lost eight of its first 11 games) to claim the postseason’s third seed.
We’ve written it before but we’re happy to do it again: Jack Murphy is our 2013-14 Big Sky Coach of the Year.
4. Montana 17-12, 12-8
Last week: No. 3
Montana whipped Sacramento State on its home floor 70-55 and then lost to Northern Arizona (67-47) for the second time this season.
What the committee will remember most about the 2013-14 Grizzlies: That they are vulnerable. Considering coach Wayne Tinkle and Montana had won back-to-back championships while losing a grand total of two conference games since 2010-11, we were halfway convinced the Grizzlies were invincible.
5. Portland State 16-13, 11-9
Last week: No. 5
Portland State earned its way into the Big Sky tournament with home wins over Weber State (66-59) and Idaho State (78-74, overtime).
What the committee will remember most about the 2013-14 Vikings: At least two separate times, we wrote off Portland State, convinced the Vikings’ guard-heavy lineup couldn’t win on the road or consistently enough at home to make the conference tourney.
After a Feb. 15 loss in Portland, Ore., to Sacramento State, Portland State was 6-8 in the league and about to head out for a four-game road trip. But PSU slugged its way to the postseason by winning five of its last six, including wins at Eastern Washington and Northern Colorado. Head coach Tyler Geving deserves a lot of praise.
6. Northern Colorado 17-12, 11-9
Last week: No. 10
On the road, UNC lost to North Dakota 94-90 and beat Southern Utah 77-52.
What the committee will remember most about the 2013-14 Bears: Northern Colorado might have the best, top-to-bottom talent on its roster in the Big Sky. With a guy controlling the middle (senior forward Derrick Barden), shooters everywhere (Tate Unruh, Jordan Wilson, Tim Huskisson) and a deep bench (nine players average at least 13 minutes a game), the Bears were poised to win the regular season title with a 7-1 start in the league.
But as Northern Colorado’s defense slowly slipped down the conference rankings (the Bears allowed 72.5 ppg in Big Sky play, finishing eighth), UNC ended the year on a 4-8 slide.
7. Sacramento State 14-15, 10-10
Last week: No. 9
Despite losing to Montana by 15 points at home (70-55), Sacramento State snuck in at the final spot of the Big Sky tournament by downing hapless Montana State 84-59.
What the committee will remember most about the 2013-14 Hornets: That Mikh McKinney is the quickest college player we’ve ever seen in person. The junior point guard, a first-team all-Big Sky selection, can get anywhere on the floor whenever he wants. He’s dynamic and we can’t wait to see what he does as a senior.
8. Eastern Washington 15-16, 10-10
Last week: No. 6
Eastern Washington defeated Idaho State 77-69 in Cheney, Wash., but could not take care of Weber State, falling to the Wildcats 82-78, ending EWU’s season.
What the committee will remember most about the 2013-14 Eagles: Tyler Harvey, Eastern’s sophomore guard, is an elite scorer, doing a majority of his damage from 3. But the Torrance, Calif., native didn’t average 21.8 points a game by merely hitting shots from the perimeter. Harvey has just enough of a game off the bounce to keep teams honest and he’s money from the free-throw line (89.7 percent).
That’s what we’ll remember from Eastern Washington, Harvey’s brilliance on the offensive end.
9. Montana State 14-17, 9-11
Last week: No. 7
In a week Bobcat fans would like to dream never happened, Montana State lost at Montana, Northern Arizona and Sacramento State and for the first time in eight years, MSU did not qualify for the Big Sky tournament.
What the committee will remember most about the 2013-14 Bobcats: The way that Idaho State fans got after sophomore guard Marcus Colbert. Montana State lost to the Bengals in Pocatello 69-64 but Colbert had one of the best games of his career. For Idaho State, Colbert quickly became enemy No. 1. Every time he touched the ball, Bengal fans chanted, “Air ball, air ball, air ball,” never letting Colbert forget one of his 17 shots never touched iron.
Colbert seemed to relish the attention, ripping ISU for 23 points and five assists. For all the talk of poor crowd behavior at sporting events — and there’s plenty of that — this was an example where fans perfectly toed the line, creating a hostile atmosphere without actually being hostile. Chanting “air ball” at Colbert was fun, and his response to the treatment was even better.
10. Idaho State 11-18, 8-12
Last week: No. 8
Idaho State finished 2-13 on the road, falling to Eastern Washington 77-69 and Portland State 78-74 in overtime.
What the committee will remember most about the 2013-14 Bengals: It’s hard not to focus on all the close losses, but Tomas Sanchez’s fierce effort on the floor is what we’ll remember most.
Sanchez, a senior point guard, averaged 39.2 minutes a game during the conference season, playing 785 out of a possible 800 minutes in 20 conference games. The way he held up over the entire season to finish eighth in the Big Sky in scoring (15.1 ppg), third in assists (4.2 a game) and fourth in steals (1.5 a game) is a testament to his conditioning and toughness.
But the fact Sanchez had to play so much is a major reason why Idaho State finished three games out of the conference tournament.
11. Southern Utah 2-27, 1-19
Last week: No. 11
The Thunderbirds snapped a 26-game losing streak by beating North Dakota 77-71. Southern Utah responded to its lone win of the season versus a Division I opponent by losing to Northern Colorado 77-52.
What the committee will remember most about the 2013-14 Thunderbirds: Absolutely nothing. Southern Utah asked that from this point forward the 2013-14 season is referred to as the season-that-shall-not-be-remembered. We’re happy to oblige.
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Idaho State at Portland State pregame
Idaho State at Portland State
Saturday, 8:05 p.m. (MST)
Stott Center, Portland, Ore.
Radio — 930 CBS Sports Radio or Rock 102.5Web — isubengals.com (live stats)
Free live video stream — watchbigsky.com
Records — Idaho State is 11-17 and 8-11 in the Big Sky. Portland State is 15-13 overall and 10-9 in the conference.
Series — Portland State leads 27-18.
Last outing — Idaho State lost at Eastern Washington 77-69. At home, Portland State beat Weber State 66-59.
Game notes: Idaho State, Portland State
The Journal's game story: No postseason for Bengals; season ends at Portland State
The University Idaho is moving into the Big Sky Conference in all sports but football next season.
For basketball that pushes the number of teams to 12 in the Big Sky and results in a few changes in the number of conference games teams will play and how many programs qualify for the conference’s league tournament.
Big Sky associate commissioner Ron Loghry was interviewed by Mark Liptak during halftime of the women’s game when Idaho State visited Weber State Feb. 17.
Loghry said the conference will move to an 18-game, unbalanced schedule next year. The league’s current 20-game conference slate is too many games, Loghry said, but since teams in the Big Sky struggle to schedule non-conference home games, 18 contests provides one more home date than moving to 16 games in the regular season.
Loghry said the conference will move to an 18-game, unbalanced schedule next year. The league’s current 20-game conference slate is too many games, Loghry said, but since teams in the Big Sky struggle to schedule non-conference home games, 18 contests provides one more home date than moving to 16 games in the regular season.
The format will model what the Pac-12 has done since that conference became a 12-team league, according to Loghry.
Volleyball is splitting into two divisions of six teams, but Loghry indicated basketball is not.
“The appetite’s just not there to start dividing our basketball programs,” Loghry said. “They’re just too evenly matched.”
Idaho’s presence also means that the Big Sky tournament, both for the men and women, will expand from seven to eight teams. The No. 1 seed will no longer have a first-round bye like the Weber State men and North Dakota women will have in this year’s league tournaments that begin next week.
Volleyball is splitting into two divisions of six teams, but Loghry indicated basketball is not.
“The appetite’s just not there to start dividing our basketball programs,” Loghry said. “They’re just too evenly matched.”
Idaho’s presence also means that the Big Sky tournament, both for the men and women, will expand from seven to eight teams. The No. 1 seed will no longer have a first-round bye like the Weber State men and North Dakota women will have in this year’s league tournaments that begin next week.
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Idaho State at Eastern Washington pregame
Idaho State at Eastern Washington
Thursday, 7:05 p.m.
Reese Court, Cheney, Wash.
Radio — 930 CBS Sports Radio or Rock 102.5
Web — isubengals.com (live stats)
Free live video stream — watchbigsky.com
Records — Idaho State is 11-16 and 8-10 in the Big Sky. Eastern Washington is 14-15 overall and 9-9 in the conference.
Series — Eastern Washington leads 40-28.
Last outing — Idaho State beat Sacramento State 80-67. Eastern Washington lost at North Dakota 69-67.
Up next — Idaho State visits Portland State Saturday.
Game notes: Idaho State, Eastern Washington
The Journal's game preview: ISU men and Eastern square off in battle for playoffs
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Big Sky Rankings — best week of the year
At one point or another this season, the committee (of one) has been convinced nine of the 11 teams listed below are great, good, just OK, bad or terrible.
From North Dakota to Northern Arizona and Eastern Washington, just about everybody in the Big Sky Conference has pulled off a stunning upset one week and followed it up with a baffling loss the next. The up-and-down nature of the league has been a blast. We’re dreading the end.
Before we begin, notice that we’ve labeled a few sections of the rankings. Each mini-headline describes that area’s chances to reach the Big Sky tournament, a tourney Weber State will host March 13-15.
Without further ado.
1. Weber State 16-10, 13-5
Last week: No. 1
Postseason predictor: With two games left, the Wildcats have already clinched the top seed.
At home, Weber State pulled away from Sacramento State 79-67 but then lost to Northern Arizona in overtime 73-71, snapping the Wildcats’ 27-game conference winning streak.
All season, the committee (of one) has raved that the combination of 6-foot-9 Joel Bolomboy and 6-10 Kyle Tresnak in the post is the foundation for the ’Cats’ success defending the 3 (no one in the conference is better) and protecting the rim.
Then Northern Arizona, off an impressive victory in Pocatello, shoots 50 percent from the perimeter last Saturday and outscores Weber 38-24 in the paint.
Despite the loss, the Wildcats are still one of two teams in the league to clinch a spot in the postseason and they’re guaranteed to host the Big Sky tournament.
2. North Dakota 15-14, 12-7
Last week: No. 5
Postseason predictor: UND is in and we see them grabbing the No. 2 spot. Winners of five straight, the mascot-less knocked off Portland State 83-73, Eastern Washington 69-67 and Northern Colorado 94-90 in frigid Grand Forks, N.D. To finish the regular season, North Dakota travels to Southern Utah Thursday.
North Dakota is a bit of a mystery to the committee (of one). Statistically, UND does two things well: offensive rebounding and steals. The mascot-less are third in the conference in offensive boards, grabbing 10.6 a game and first in steals (8.3 per game).
But in just about every other category, North Dakota is average-to-below average. Yet here they are at No. 2 in these rankings, and if UND takes care of the Thunderbirds Thursday, Montana has to win both of its remaining road games for the mascot-less not to enter the postseason tournament as the second seed.
3. Montana 16-11, 11-7
Last week: No. 3
Postseason predictor: With 11 wins, Montana is likely in already.
To end a four-game home stand, the Grizzlies clobbered Southern Utah 83-54 and beat Montana State (53-50) for the eighth straight time.
Montana’s scoring defense has steadily improved over the past couple months. At 68.6 points a game, the Griz trail only Idaho State (68.4 ppg) and Weber State (66.0 ppg). Montana still has issues rebounding the basketball and the committee (of one) isn’t convinced the interior of that Grizzly defense won’t be an issue in the tournament setting.
But their three guards — senior Kareem Jamar and juniors Keron DeShields and Jordan Gregory — are about as good as it gets. The trio averages 45.3 points a night, accounting for 63 percent of UM’s scoring production (third behind Idaho State’s big three of Chris Hansen, Tomas Sanchez and Andre Hatchett (45.9 ppg) and Eastern’s Tyler Harvey, Venky Jois and Drew Brandon (46.4 ppg)).
4. Northern Arizona 13-16, 10-8
Last week: No. 10
Postseason predictor: The Lumberjacks probably need to win one more game to secure a spot.
Northern Arizona shook off back-to-back losses at home and held off Idaho State 66-65 in Pocatello and Weber State 73-71 in overtime in Ogden, Utah.
As far as we’re concerned, NAU head coach Jack Murphy deserves the Big Sky’s coach of the year award. In those home losses two weeks ago, Murphy brought his two leading scorers, junior Quinton Upshur and senior Max Jacobsen, off the bench for the first time this season.
Both Upshur and Jacobsen were reinserted into the starting lineup against ISU and WSU. Upshur responded with 28 points and a career-high eight 3s against the Bengals and 26 points in the win over Weber. Jacobsen wasn’t too bad either, shooting a combined 18-27 in the two games while averaging 18 points.
Whatever buttons Murphy is pushing are the right ones. Now he’s got his squad and its one senior on the precipice of qualifying for the postseason tourney.
5. Portland State 14-13, 9-9
Last week: No. 5
Postseason predictor: No idea. They’re playing at home, though, and that can’t hurt. Portland State lost at North Dakota 83-73 and beat Northern Colorado 77-68.
The Vikings have four road wins all season and three of them have come in the past two weeks. Since Jan. 26, Portland State has won four games in a row, lost four straight and then found a way to claw out three wins at Southern Utah (Feb. 20), Eastern Washington (Feb. 24) and Northern Colorado (March 1).
Since losing at home to Northern Arizona and Sacramento State, the Viking offense heated up and rattled off 86 points against the T-Birds, 87 at Eastern and 77 against UNC.
Junior guard Gary Winston has been terrific, scoring 72 points in the Vikings’ last four games. Winston poured in 22 points and dished out seven assists in the upset at UNC.
6. Eastern Washington 14-15, 9-9
Last week: No. 7
Postseason predictor: With EWU’s potent offense, this might be the team no one wants to play in the tournament.
On the road, Eastern torched Northern Colorado in a 80-66 victory and then lost to North Dakota 69-67.
Sophomore Tyler Harvey fell into a shooting slump at UND, missing 10 of his 15 field-goal attempts, finishing with 11 points. Before that game, Harvey had been on a tear, scoring 37 against NAU, 26 at SUU, 23 versus PSU and exploding for 31 against UNC.
In Big Sky play, Harvey is averaging a conference-high 23.3 points. His 66 3-pointers are 15 more than anyone else has made, and only Sanchez is averaging more minutes a game. So, ladies and gentleman, we’re taking this time to introduce your 2014-15 preseason Big Sky player of the year.
7. Montana State 14-15, 9-9
Last week: No. 8
Postseason predictor: Win two road games and they’re probably in good shape.
The Bobcats outlasted Southern Utah 77-72 in snowy Bozeman, Mont., and lost at Montana 53-50.
MSU visits Northern Arizona and Sacramento State this week, two teams the Bobcats beat in their first meeting. So not only would the victories push Montana State to 11 wins, the ’Cats would own head-to-head tiebreakers with both NAU and Sac.
The committee (of one) just has no idea if MSU can cobble together two quality road games.
8. Idaho State 11-16, 8-10
Last week: No. 9
Postseason predictor: Have to win twice away from Pocatello this week. If the Bengals do that, they’ll have a chance to get in.
In Reed Gym, Idaho State dropped a 66-65 game to Northern Arizona before rebounding to down Sacramento State 80-67.
The committee (of one) learned a lot about ISU’s toughness with that win Saturday night against the Hornets. Leading into that matchup, the Bengals had lost two straight games by one point. If either (or both) of those contests turn out differently, ISU would control its own postseason fate.
Neither did, though, and that had to be crushing. Still, Idaho State still found a way to get up for Sac State and played some of its best basketball this season, pulling away in the second half.
Now it all comes down to a simple fact as ISU embarks to the Northwest to play Eastern Washington (Thursday) and Portland State (Saturday): Win both and the Bengals will have a shot to make the Big Sky tourney, but falter in either and the season will end in Portland.
9. Sacramento State 13-14, 9-9
Last week: No. 2
Postseason predictor: The Hornets return to Sacramento for two games where they’re 7-1 this season. They’ll need to win at least once. Sacramento State lost to Weber State 79-67 and Idaho State 80-67, dropping the Hornets’ road record in the Big Sky to 2-8.
In its 13 wins this season, Sac is averaging a skosh over 76 points, and in 14 losses the offensive production falls under 62 points. It tells us that when the Hornets have it rolling offensively, they’re really tough to beat.
Junior Mikh McKinney might be the quickest guard in the Big Sky and Dylan Garrity, another junior, has a shooting stroke that’s a thing of beauty. But outside of those two, we don’t see a lot of reliable scoring. It’s tough to lean so heavily on two guys to deliver night after night, especially on the road.
10. Northern Colorado 16-12, 10-9
Last week: No. 4
Postseason predictor: They’ll get in and their first-round opponent will be psyched to play them. In Greeley, Colo., UNC dropped a 80-66 decision to Eastern Washington and a 77-68 final to Portland State. Tuesday night, the Bears fell behind early and lost at North Dakota 94-90.
Northern Colorado peaked a month ago. The Bears are 3-7 in their last 10 and those two losses to EWU and PSU were their first defeats at home this season. The Vikings and Eagles combined to shoot a torrid 56 for 98 from the field (57 percent).
All the pieces for a good basketball team are there, but none of it’s clicking together. The question is whether head coach B.J. Hill and staff can reverse the negative trends for the conference tourney. From today, they’ve got eight days.
11. Southern Utah 1-26, 0-18
Last week: No. 11
Postseason predictor: The Thunderbirds were officially out of the race about a month ago.
The losing streak hit No. 26 with a 77-72 defeat at Montana State and a 83-54 loss at Montana.
SUU is 11th in the conference in scoring, free-throw shooting, offensive field-goal percentage, 3-point field-goal percentage, rebounding and 3-point field goals made.
But you didn’t need us to tell you that. Southern Utah has lost 26 straight games, 17 of those by double digits. Simply enough, this is a season to bury for loyal T-Bird fans everywhere.
From North Dakota to Northern Arizona and Eastern Washington, just about everybody in the Big Sky Conference has pulled off a stunning upset one week and followed it up with a baffling loss the next. The up-and-down nature of the league has been a blast. We’re dreading the end.
Before we begin, notice that we’ve labeled a few sections of the rankings. Each mini-headline describes that area’s chances to reach the Big Sky tournament, a tourney Weber State will host March 13-15.
Without further ado.
The favorite to win it all
1. Weber State 16-10, 13-5
Last week: No. 1
Postseason predictor: With two games left, the Wildcats have already clinched the top seed.
At home, Weber State pulled away from Sacramento State 79-67 but then lost to Northern Arizona in overtime 73-71, snapping the Wildcats’ 27-game conference winning streak.
All season, the committee (of one) has raved that the combination of 6-foot-9 Joel Bolomboy and 6-10 Kyle Tresnak in the post is the foundation for the ’Cats’ success defending the 3 (no one in the conference is better) and protecting the rim.
Then Northern Arizona, off an impressive victory in Pocatello, shoots 50 percent from the perimeter last Saturday and outscores Weber 38-24 in the paint.
Despite the loss, the Wildcats are still one of two teams in the league to clinch a spot in the postseason and they’re guaranteed to host the Big Sky tournament.
In and battling for postseason positioning
2. North Dakota 15-14, 12-7
Last week: No. 5
Postseason predictor: UND is in and we see them grabbing the No. 2 spot. Winners of five straight, the mascot-less knocked off Portland State 83-73, Eastern Washington 69-67 and Northern Colorado 94-90 in frigid Grand Forks, N.D. To finish the regular season, North Dakota travels to Southern Utah Thursday.
North Dakota is a bit of a mystery to the committee (of one). Statistically, UND does two things well: offensive rebounding and steals. The mascot-less are third in the conference in offensive boards, grabbing 10.6 a game and first in steals (8.3 per game).
But in just about every other category, North Dakota is average-to-below average. Yet here they are at No. 2 in these rankings, and if UND takes care of the Thunderbirds Thursday, Montana has to win both of its remaining road games for the mascot-less not to enter the postseason tournament as the second seed.
3. Montana 16-11, 11-7
Last week: No. 3
Postseason predictor: With 11 wins, Montana is likely in already.
To end a four-game home stand, the Grizzlies clobbered Southern Utah 83-54 and beat Montana State (53-50) for the eighth straight time.
Montana’s scoring defense has steadily improved over the past couple months. At 68.6 points a game, the Griz trail only Idaho State (68.4 ppg) and Weber State (66.0 ppg). Montana still has issues rebounding the basketball and the committee (of one) isn’t convinced the interior of that Grizzly defense won’t be an issue in the tournament setting.
But their three guards — senior Kareem Jamar and juniors Keron DeShields and Jordan Gregory — are about as good as it gets. The trio averages 45.3 points a night, accounting for 63 percent of UM’s scoring production (third behind Idaho State’s big three of Chris Hansen, Tomas Sanchez and Andre Hatchett (45.9 ppg) and Eastern’s Tyler Harvey, Venky Jois and Drew Brandon (46.4 ppg)).
In, we think, but in a season where everything changes from week to week we’re not kidding ourselves that we actually know anything.
4. Northern Arizona 13-16, 10-8
Last week: No. 10
Postseason predictor: The Lumberjacks probably need to win one more game to secure a spot.
Northern Arizona shook off back-to-back losses at home and held off Idaho State 66-65 in Pocatello and Weber State 73-71 in overtime in Ogden, Utah.
As far as we’re concerned, NAU head coach Jack Murphy deserves the Big Sky’s coach of the year award. In those home losses two weeks ago, Murphy brought his two leading scorers, junior Quinton Upshur and senior Max Jacobsen, off the bench for the first time this season.
Both Upshur and Jacobsen were reinserted into the starting lineup against ISU and WSU. Upshur responded with 28 points and a career-high eight 3s against the Bengals and 26 points in the win over Weber. Jacobsen wasn’t too bad either, shooting a combined 18-27 in the two games while averaging 18 points.
Whatever buttons Murphy is pushing are the right ones. Now he’s got his squad and its one senior on the precipice of qualifying for the postseason tourney.
Control their own fate, kinda
5. Portland State 14-13, 9-9
Last week: No. 5
Postseason predictor: No idea. They’re playing at home, though, and that can’t hurt. Portland State lost at North Dakota 83-73 and beat Northern Colorado 77-68.
The Vikings have four road wins all season and three of them have come in the past two weeks. Since Jan. 26, Portland State has won four games in a row, lost four straight and then found a way to claw out three wins at Southern Utah (Feb. 20), Eastern Washington (Feb. 24) and Northern Colorado (March 1).
Since losing at home to Northern Arizona and Sacramento State, the Viking offense heated up and rattled off 86 points against the T-Birds, 87 at Eastern and 77 against UNC.
Junior guard Gary Winston has been terrific, scoring 72 points in the Vikings’ last four games. Winston poured in 22 points and dished out seven assists in the upset at UNC.
6. Eastern Washington 14-15, 9-9
Last week: No. 7
Postseason predictor: With EWU’s potent offense, this might be the team no one wants to play in the tournament.
On the road, Eastern torched Northern Colorado in a 80-66 victory and then lost to North Dakota 69-67.
Sophomore Tyler Harvey fell into a shooting slump at UND, missing 10 of his 15 field-goal attempts, finishing with 11 points. Before that game, Harvey had been on a tear, scoring 37 against NAU, 26 at SUU, 23 versus PSU and exploding for 31 against UNC.
In Big Sky play, Harvey is averaging a conference-high 23.3 points. His 66 3-pointers are 15 more than anyone else has made, and only Sanchez is averaging more minutes a game. So, ladies and gentleman, we’re taking this time to introduce your 2014-15 preseason Big Sky player of the year.
7. Montana State 14-15, 9-9
Last week: No. 8
Postseason predictor: Win two road games and they’re probably in good shape.
The Bobcats outlasted Southern Utah 77-72 in snowy Bozeman, Mont., and lost at Montana 53-50.
MSU visits Northern Arizona and Sacramento State this week, two teams the Bobcats beat in their first meeting. So not only would the victories push Montana State to 11 wins, the ’Cats would own head-to-head tiebreakers with both NAU and Sac.
The committee (of one) just has no idea if MSU can cobble together two quality road games.
Do the Bengals believe?
8. Idaho State 11-16, 8-10
Last week: No. 9
Postseason predictor: Have to win twice away from Pocatello this week. If the Bengals do that, they’ll have a chance to get in.
In Reed Gym, Idaho State dropped a 66-65 game to Northern Arizona before rebounding to down Sacramento State 80-67.
The committee (of one) learned a lot about ISU’s toughness with that win Saturday night against the Hornets. Leading into that matchup, the Bengals had lost two straight games by one point. If either (or both) of those contests turn out differently, ISU would control its own postseason fate.
Neither did, though, and that had to be crushing. Still, Idaho State still found a way to get up for Sac State and played some of its best basketball this season, pulling away in the second half.
Now it all comes down to a simple fact as ISU embarks to the Northwest to play Eastern Washington (Thursday) and Portland State (Saturday): Win both and the Bengals will have a shot to make the Big Sky tourney, but falter in either and the season will end in Portland.
Going home and that’s a good, good thing
9. Sacramento State 13-14, 9-9
Last week: No. 2
Postseason predictor: The Hornets return to Sacramento for two games where they’re 7-1 this season. They’ll need to win at least once. Sacramento State lost to Weber State 79-67 and Idaho State 80-67, dropping the Hornets’ road record in the Big Sky to 2-8.
In its 13 wins this season, Sac is averaging a skosh over 76 points, and in 14 losses the offensive production falls under 62 points. It tells us that when the Hornets have it rolling offensively, they’re really tough to beat.
Junior Mikh McKinney might be the quickest guard in the Big Sky and Dylan Garrity, another junior, has a shooting stroke that’s a thing of beauty. But outside of those two, we don’t see a lot of reliable scoring. It’s tough to lean so heavily on two guys to deliver night after night, especially on the road.
The most disappointing team in the league
10. Northern Colorado 16-12, 10-9
Last week: No. 4
Postseason predictor: They’ll get in and their first-round opponent will be psyched to play them. In Greeley, Colo., UNC dropped a 80-66 decision to Eastern Washington and a 77-68 final to Portland State. Tuesday night, the Bears fell behind early and lost at North Dakota 94-90.
Northern Colorado peaked a month ago. The Bears are 3-7 in their last 10 and those two losses to EWU and PSU were their first defeats at home this season. The Vikings and Eagles combined to shoot a torrid 56 for 98 from the field (57 percent).
All the pieces for a good basketball team are there, but none of it’s clicking together. The question is whether head coach B.J. Hill and staff can reverse the negative trends for the conference tourney. From today, they’ve got eight days.
After Saturday, SUU is forgetting the 2013-14 season ever took place
11. Southern Utah 1-26, 0-18
Last week: No. 11
Postseason predictor: The Thunderbirds were officially out of the race about a month ago.
The losing streak hit No. 26 with a 77-72 defeat at Montana State and a 83-54 loss at Montana.
SUU is 11th in the conference in scoring, free-throw shooting, offensive field-goal percentage, 3-point field-goal percentage, rebounding and 3-point field goals made.
But you didn’t need us to tell you that. Southern Utah has lost 26 straight games, 17 of those by double digits. Simply enough, this is a season to bury for loyal T-Bird fans everywhere.
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Idaho State vs. Sac State postgame
Idaho State 80, Sacramento State 67
Star of the game: Jeffrey Solarin. Solarin's 18 boards were huge. Five of those were offensive and, of course, they were important but Solarin's 13 defensive rebounds helped ISU hold off Sacrament State.
The Hornets shot 41 percent from the field and jacked up 59 attempts. That's a lot of misses and opportunities for offensive rebounds. To win Idaho State had to finish off possessions by chasing down those errant shots, allowing guys like Tomas Sanchez, Andre Hatchett and Chris Hansen to get out on the break and score quickly.
Solarin just played with an energy that indicated he knew how important this game was to the Bengals.
More stars of the game: The three seniors: Ayibakuro Preh, Andre Hatchett, Tomas Sanchez. Those three (along with junior Chris Hansen) form the leadership group for Idaho State, and the Bengals needed some leadership to bounce back from one-point losses to Montana and Northern Arizona. Those are heartbreakers but ISU found a way to play one of its better games of the season against the Hornets. Part of the credit goes to coach Bill Evans and the staff. Preh, Hatchett and Sanchez deserve a lot of praise, too.
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