Bengals pull away, top Lady Griz

Thursday, February 13

Pocatello, Idaho

7 PM

Montana

10-14, 6-7BSC

Idaho State

9-14, 4-8BSC

Montana

Idaho St.

Photos: Idaho State Athletics

2/13/2025 9:59:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

By: Montana Sports Information

In a game that lacked rhythm and flow for its first 26 minutes, Idaho State found it first and rode it to a 66-46 victory over Montana on Thursday night at Reed Gym in Pocatello, Idaho.

Trailing 36-32 midway through the third quarter, the Bengals outscored the Lady Griz 34-10 over the game's final 14 minutes to enact some revenge for Montana's 81-60 victory in Missoula last month.

After going 11 for 38 (.289) through the first two and a half quarters, Idaho State did its best Northern Arizona impersonation, closing the game going 14 for 21 (.667), including 5 for 6 from the 3-point line.

Everything Montana had to its advantage in the teams' first match-up – balance, red-hot shooting from the arc, going 14 for 32 – the Lady Griz lacked on Thursday.

Mack Konig scored 17 points, Izabella Zingaro had 14 and Alex Pirog added 10 off the bench, her highest scoring game since mid-November, but the rest of the team went just 1 for 21 and scored five points.

Montana went 5 for 21 from the 3-point line, its fewest makes from the arc since early December, and turned the ball over 15 times, 12 of those coming in the second half as ISU pulled away.

"Give Idaho State a lot of credit. They do a great job of making the game difficult, and we didn't handle hard very well tonight," said interim head coach Nate Harris.

Holding Montana to 4-of-19 shooting in the first quarter, Idaho State built an 18-11 lead after 10 minutes, then extended that advantage to 30-21 midway through the second quarter.

That's when the Lady Griz had their best sustained play of the game, pulling to within 32-30 by halftime, then scoring the opening six points of the third quarter to go up 36-32, a 15-2 run over two halves.

"We did a great job of keeping the game simple," said Harris, whose team found Zingaro around the hoop in defensive mismatches to the tune of 14 first-half points.

With Zingaro the focus of Idaho State's second-half defense, the Bengals held her scoreless. Without that production and without other scoring options, the Lady Griz made only six second-half baskets.

"The way they swarmed Izzi and took some things away, we needed to be able to find some different things," said Harris. "We made it too difficult down the stretch in terms of what we were trying to get."

Konig had her best scoring game since early December, her third-highest game of the season. She either scored or assisted on 10 of Montana's 15 made baskets.

Idaho State was able to hold Tyler McCliment-Call, Dani Bartsch and Avery Waddington scoreless in the game.

Piper Carlson had 11 points, nine rebounds and four steals to lead Idaho State. Tasia Jordan added 14 points, Alyse Aby 13 with three 3-pointers.

Montana will try to get a split of the road trip when the Lady Griz (10-14, 6-7 BSC) play at Weber State (9-13, 6-6 BSC) at 2 p.m. on Saturday in Ogden, Utah.

The Wildcats lost 63-45 at home to Big Sky leader Montana State on Thursday night.

Montana defeated Weber State in their first match-up in Missoula last month 74-70. "We have to respond quickly," added Harris. "We've got to get back on track and get to the good faster."