Idaho State University’s women’s basketball team achieved a milestone on Friday, securing the program’s 700th all-time victory with a 59–46 win over Northern Arizona at Reed Gym in Pocatello. The Bengals improved their season record to 10-5 overall and 3-1 in Big Sky Conference play.
The game began with Idaho State establishing an early lead, as Tasia Jordan scored the first four points and Piper Carlson added a layup. Northern Arizona closed the gap briefly, but Idaho State responded with a strong run and ended the first quarter ahead 21–16, holding their opponents to under 30 percent shooting.
In the second quarter, Northern Arizona narrowed the margin to one point midway through, but Idaho State maintained composure. Head Coach Seton Sobolewski commented on his team’s resilience: “We sputtered at times offensively that kept things really close, but finally figured it out.” A late jumper by Aspen Caldwell gave Idaho State a three-point advantage at halftime.
Northern Arizona took its only lead of the game early in the third quarter before Idaho State regained control with a 7–0 run. The Bengals outscored their opponents in the period while limiting them to just over 22 percent shooting. Sobolewski credited his players’ defensive work: “It was a big time combined effort just to slow her down a little bit,” referring to NAU’s leading scorer Naomi White.
The Bengals opened the fourth quarter with a decisive 10–0 run, extending their lead into double digits. During this stretch, Kacey Spink recorded her first of five second-half steals, breaking Idaho State’s all-time career steals record. Sobolewski said of Spink: “She’s just heart and hustle and smarts and guts. I’m happy that she’s kind of found a place in the record books.”
Idaho State continued to build its advantage throughout the final period, ultimately winning by 13 points as they held Northern Arizona to only ten points in the last quarter.
Tasia Jordan led all scorers with 18 points and ten rebounds for her first double-double of the season. The Bengals dominated on the boards with a 43–26 rebounding edge—a statistic that Sobolewski highlighted: “Getting out there and chasing the ball… scrambling enough to out rebound it.” Spink contributed eight points and eight rebounds along with her five steals; Caldwell led with six assists.
Defensively, Idaho State limited Northern Arizona to just over 28 percent shooting from the field and slightly above eleven percent from beyond the arc. White was held to four-of-seventeen shooting as Idaho State controlled much of the contest after halftime.
The Bengals will travel next week for games against Idaho on Thursday evening followed by Eastern Washington University on Saturday afternoon.
