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ISU women finally play at home
POCATELLO -- Her iPod charger. Snacks. Consistent wireless Internet connection. A full wardrobe of clothes from which to choose.
Sheila Adams never knew there was so much about her dorm room she would miss until the Idaho State women's basketball team embarked on its week-long road trip last week to Cedar City, Utah, and Los Angeles. "The worst is living out of a duffel bag," said Adams, a freshman guard. "You can only pack so much, and that's not including all your gear and everything." That's something the Bengals have had to get used to this season. They started the season with seven consecutive road games, the program's longest such stretch since the 1980-1981 season. Their travels culminated with a three-game swing last week at Southern Utah and Loyola Marymount that ended with a 13-hour bus ride home from Los Angeles.
The Bengals did squeeze in some sightseeing along the way -- when they weren't practicing, studying game film, sitting on a bus or lamenting forgotten personal items in unfamiliar hotel rooms. It's no surprise, then, that their clash with Montana Western at 7:05 p.m. today -- their first regular-season contest this year at Reed Gym -- couldn't possibly have come sooner for the Bengals. "It's nice being home," Idaho State coach Seton Sobolewski said. "People can sleep in their own beds. It's nice to have a few days in betwen games to prepare. The girls had fun on the road, but I know they're looking forward to being home."
To be fair, the Bengals also have plenty of fond memories of their adventures on the road. The trip to Los Angeles was a first for most of them, and Sobolewski embellished their Thanksgiving Day routine with a visit to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, with stops at the Kodak Theater and Grauman's Chinese Theater, among others. Idaho State also got the chance to see some historic basketball arenas, such as when it played New Mexico at The Pit during their season-opening tournament. For most of the players, the boisterous crowd of 6,800 Lobos fans created a charged atmosphere unlike anything they'd experienced.
"Seven thousand people all hating you," freshman post Jeni Guertin said. "I was all jacked and pumped and ready to go. I liked it. It was a good experience. Not a lot of people can experience that. When you're down there, you're usually the ones sitting in the crowd." The Bengals paid a hefty price off the court for those experiences, though. Adams had never made a basketball trip longer than a weekend during her high school days, and the Bengals' hectic road schedule quickly wore on her.
Between team workouts, film sessions and, of course, bus rides, the players often found themselves with little time to themselves until they retreated as late as 10 p.m. each day to their hotel rooms -- where they had to study scouting reports for their next game. "What down time? We really didn't have that much time," senior wing Michelle Grohs said. "The time that we did have, we spent resting and making sure we were hydrated."
Idaho State's eventful road trip came to a fitting conclusion when its team bus broke down 10 miles outside Pocatello on Monday morning after an overnight ride. By the time the bus arrived at Reed Gym after crawling at 30 mph the rest of the way, the Bengals had never been happier to be reunited with their own beds and personal belongings. For Guertin, it was her pillows and bedside radio. Adams, on the other hand, was delighted to be able to change into something other than the same old sets of sweats.
That's a feeling Adams likely will keep in mind the next time she packs for a road trip. "My suitcase is going to be packed to the fullest, that's for sure," Adams said. "I'll pack in anything I can."
Montana Western (4-4) at Idaho State (2-5) When: 7:05 p.m. today
Where: Reed Gym Listen: 91.1 FM KISU What's at stake: The Bengals can't afford to have a bad showing against an NAIA opponent. Key matchup: Montana Western wing Alysa Brown vs. Michelle Grohs. Brown leads the Bulldogs with 17.0 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. She is the only Bulldog averaging double digits in scoring. Three things about the Bulldogs: n Montana Western lost to Montana State 86-46 on Nov. 8. The Bulldogs treated that game, just as they will today's contest against the Bengals, as an exhibition in their record books. n Montana Western is traditionally one of the stronger teams in the Frontier Conference. It has won three regular-season crowns and five conference tournament titles since 2000. n Idaho State leads the all-time series 8-1. Montana Western's only win came during the 2001-2002 season, and it remains its only win against a Division I team. Happy ending if... The Bengals just play like they're capable of playing. Article RatingReader CommentsSubmit a CommentCommenting RulesWe encourage your feedback and dialog. All comments are subject to deletion by our Web staff.
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