Idaho State University’s men’s basketball team extended its home winning streak over the University of Idaho to ten games with a 76–68 victory Thursday night at Reed Gym in Pocatello. The Bengals relied on improved defense and rebounding in the second half to secure the rivalry win.
Head coach Ryan Looney credited his team’s defensive adjustments after halftime, particularly against Idaho’s three-point shooting. “I was really impressed with our toughness defensively in the second half,” Looney said. “We had a game plan to take away the three-point line, and I thought we did a really good job executing that the last 20.”
The Bengals held Idaho, the Big Sky Conference’s top three-point shooting team entering the game, to just 4-of-26 from beyond the arc (15.4%). Looney explained, “At the end of the day, we were going to live with them trying to beat us with twos, not threes.”
The first half was closely contested, with Idaho State overcoming early rebounding issues. A late 11-2 run capped by Martin Kheil’s buzzer-beating three-pointer gave Idaho State a one-point lead at halftime. Looney noted, “We came down at halftime feeling like we were winning and not playing very well. I think it gave us a boost for sure.”
In the second half, Idaho State responded defensively and on the boards after Idaho focused on scoring inside. “It got scary early because they tried to counter and go inside,” Looney said. “But I liked the adjustment our players made after a few timeouts.”
A key 8-0 run late in the game allowed Idaho State to pull away. Jamison Guerra sealed the outcome by making free throws in the closing seconds. Guerra said, “I’m really proud of how our group competed on both ends, especially late in the second half… We were kind of getting our butts kicked on the boards, and then we turned the tide late and ended up plus-three on the rebounds. That ended up winning the game.”
Guerra led all scorers with 21 points and six assists—his third consecutive game leading Idaho State in scoring with at least 20 points. Looney commented, “Jamison is a winner… I think we’ve figured out exactly how to use him.” Kheil contributed 14 points while Evan Otten added six points and two blocks; Otten is now two blocks shy of reaching 100 career blocks and fifth place on ISU’s all-time list.
Bench contributions included Caleb Van De Griend’s 14 points and Cheikh Sow’s game-high 11 rebounds—eight coming in crucial second-half moments. Sow described his approach: “Coach tells me every time I go in, just go out there and get stops and go… Then trust your teammates to make the next one.” Guerra added praise: “This guy right here was an animal on the boards… He really turned the tide for us.”
As a team, Idaho State shot 47.1 percent from the field—including eight three-pointers—and hit 80 percent of its free throws (20-for-25), their highest percentage this season when making at least twenty free throws.
Idaho finished with a lower shooting percentage overall (41.5%) and struggled from long range (15.4%), matching their season low for threes made.
The Bengals are now averaging notable individual performances: Guerra has averaged 23 points per game over his last three outings; Sow is averaging more than eight rebounds per contest over that span.
Quin Patterson saw increased playing time off the bench with thirteen minutes—the most he has played since November.
Idaho State’s win further extends their dominance over their regional rival within Reed Gym.
