News Story - Idaho State Journal

Things went so poorly for Idaho State in its 82-47 loss Sunday at New Mexico that coach Seton Sobolewski couldn't even empty his bench toward the end of the game without incurring a technical foul.

Listed as No. 32 in the books, freshman post Jeni Guertin entered the game wearing a No. 42 road jersey, a mistake that gave New Mexico two more free throws on its way to a convincing win in the second game of the Basketball Travelers Tip-off Tournament in Albuquerque, N.M.

"It was just like, OK, let's fix that, too, and move on," Sobolewski said. "That's another challenge, and we have to overcome it."

For the second straight night, the Bengals allowed their opponent to reel off a huge run, this one coming in the first half to remove most of the suspense from the game. As it did against DePaul, Idaho State struggled to find a rhythm offensively under heavy defensive pressure from New Mexico.

"We're still in a place where they're still trying to learn what as a coaching staff we want them to do," Sobolewski said.

The Bengals (0-2) hit their first shot of the game but did not manage their second field goal until another 11 minutes had elapsed. During that span, the Lobos (2-0) outscored the Bengals 29-3.

Trailing 40-20 to begin the second half, Idaho State hit three consecutive 3-pointers, but that comeback was short-lived. New Mexico went on a 35-12 run spanning the next 12 minutes to put the game out of reach.

The Bengals shot just 25.9 percent from the floor.

"We did not get good shots," Sobolewski said. "We had to take a lot of tough shots. We had to take a lot of rushed shots because we weren't open."

Once again, Idaho State faced a lineup superior in size. Four of the Lobos' starters stand 6 feet or taller, resulting in a 47-29 rebounding advantage for them. Idaho State especially had trouble defending 6-foot-3 center Angela Hartill, who scored 20 points.

Idaho State had no such go-to player of its own. No Bengal scored in double figures, with freshman guard Sheila Adams coming the closest with nine points.

"We're still trying to establish who that go-to player is going to be," Sobolewski said. "There's a possibility a lot of different players could be that player in the future."

The Bengals play their final game at the tournament against Alcorn State, a team New Mexico pounded 94-38 on Friday. The prospect of playing a team similar in size and caliber surely will be a relief to the young Bengals squad.

Said Sobolewski: "We're in the process of getting better, and we're staying positive."

This document was originally published online on Monday, November 17, 2008

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