PORTLAND, Ore. — The last game that Idaho State played against a Big Sky opponent was an 84-49 win over Idaho in last season's Big Sky championship game. Thursday night, the Bengals picked up where they left off, beating the Vikings 83-40 at Viking Pavilion in both team's Big Sky Conference opener.
The Bengals (2-5, 1-0 Big Sky) validated their status as preseason favorites within the conference with the win over the Vikings (3-3, 0-1 Big Sky). The Bengals handled the Vikings' pressure well, as they became the first team this season to win the turnover battle with the Vikings, forcing 18 turnovers while committing only nine themselves.
The bigger advantage came on the glass, however, as the Bengals out-rebounded the Vikings 50-26, including a 23-10 advantage on the offensive end. It was an even bigger advantage in the second half, as they out-rebounded the Vikings 30-6 after halftime, with 16 of their 30 second-half rebounds coming on the offensive glass.
The Bengals scored 13 straight near the start of the third quarter to double what had been a 13-point halftime lead into a 50-24 advantage with 5:16 left in the period. Idaho State also scored the first 16 points of the fourth quarter to put the game fully out of reach early.
The Vikings couldn't counter the Bengals' runs as the offense sputtered for the second straight game. After hitting 40 percent of their shots from three-point range through their first four games, the Vikings have struggled from the outside over their last two games. The Vikings went 1-of-13 from deep against Utah Valley on Nov. 27, and went 3-of-17 from the outside Thursday night against the Bengals.
Savannah Dhaliwal hit two of the team's three triples on back-to-back possessions, as she scored 10 of her team-high 12 points in the second half.
Mia 'Uhila was also a bright spot in the first half for the Vikings, as she scored all eight of her points in the opening 20 minutes. 'Uhila added four rebounds and four assists to her eight points, and also nabbed one of the Vikings' nine steals in the game.
Rhema Ogele stayed out of foul trouble Thursday night after struggling with that over the team's previous three games. Ogele finished with six points and six rebounds, as a result, with three of her six rebounds coming on the offensive glass.
The Vikings will now look to bounce back Saturday, when they host Weber State at 12 p.m.
Game Notes: The Vikings fell to 23-41 all-time against Idaho State with Thursday's loss…The Bengals out-scored the Vikings 48-20 in the paint and 20-4 in points off turnovers.
