Idaho State University’s women’s basketball team was defeated by Northern Colorado 67–56 at Reed Gym on Thursday night. The Bengals, who now hold a 9–5 overall record and are 2–1 in Big Sky Conference play, were unable to recover after the Bears pulled away with a strong third quarter.
The Bengals started the game with an early lead, scoring the first four points through baskets from Kacey Spink and Tasia Jordan. However, Northern Colorado responded with a series of runs, ending the first quarter ahead 21–15 after a three-pointer by Gabi Fields.
In the second quarter, Idaho State narrowed the gap thanks to interior plays from Piper Carlson and Asa Wolfram. Wolfram’s layup brought them within two points midway through the period, but Northern Colorado quickly rebuilt their lead. A late jumper by Heather Baymon sent the Bears into halftime leading 31–25.
The turning point came in the third quarter when Northern Colorado went on a 9–0 run that included contributions from Julia Riley, Aniah Hall, and Tatum West. This extended their advantage to as much as 16 points by the end of the period.
Idaho State attempted a comeback in the fourth quarter with an early jumper from Aspen Caldwell and an 8–0 run led by Spink and Tylie Jones. Despite cutting the deficit to nine points, Northern Colorado maintained control with timely baskets and free throws.
Afterward, Head Coach Seton Sobolewski commented: “when big moments happen, big plays need to happen. They made them, not us.” He also praised Kacey Spink’s performance: “our steady Eddie, someone you can always count on.”
Spink led Idaho State with 13 points along with seven rebounds, four assists, and two steals. She now has 227 career steals—tied for first place in Idaho State’s record book—and needs one more steal to claim sole possession of that record.
Northern Colorado out-rebounded Idaho State 36–33 and scored 30 points in the paint. The Bengals shot 35.5 percent from the field and were outscored decisively in the third quarter.
