Feb. 19, 2011
Pocatello, ID - Devon Peltier scored a career-high 32 points and the Titans had a good shooting night but it wasn't enough Saturday to overcome the long-range bombing of Idaho State as the Bengals beat Cal State Fullerton, 84-79, in an ESPNU BracketBuster game at Reed Gym.
Idaho State is now 9-17 while Cal State Fullerton dropped to 9-18.
Idaho State made 12 of 28 attempts from the 3-point line in its biggest output in four years. Broderick Gilchrest was 9-for-15 from the field and hit six 3-pointers while scoring a team-high 29 points. He also had five assists and three steals.
Orane Chin had 13 points and led Fullerton with 8 rebounds. Jer'Vaughn Johnson (12) and Andre Hardy (10) also were in double figures as Fullerton shot 50 percent from the floor, 40 percent at the arc and 73 percent at the line. Fullerton aso won the battle of the boards at 35-23 but committed 7 more turnnover to lose its fourth in a row.
"That is the best Broderick Gilchrest has played since the Colorado game," ISU coach Joe O'Brien said. "That was a glimpse of what he was like against Colorado. That was huge for us. He knocked down 3's in the first half and got everybody else playing with confidence. He was the catalyst that got things going."
Phyllip Taylor scored 14 points off the bench while Deividas Busma had 11 and Kenny McGowen 11. Abner Moreira had seven points and a team-best seven rebounds.
Peltier made 6 of 12 3-point attempts and 8 of 9 free throws.
The 17 Titan turnovers resulted into 32 points off turnovers.
"Thirty-Two points off turnovers is amazing," O'Brien said. "I don't think I have seen a number like that in my five years here."
Leading 40-38 at halftime, the Bengals broke open a close game in the second half and took their first double-digit lead of the game at 54-44 with 16:26 to play in after two free throws by Gilchrest.
Cal State Fullerton cut the ISU lead to 55-50 with 12:54 remaining before the Bengal offense caught fire by going on a 16-6 run to take their biggest lead of the game at 71-56 with 6:56 to play after four straight points by McGowen.
Cal State Fullerton made a run to cut the Bengal lead to four in the final minute but ISU made eight of its final 10 free throws to seal the win.
Fullerton has only one game next week, a home match with second-place Cal Poly SLO.