Women's Basketball 11/25/2008 7:00:00 AM Southern Utah Athletics

Thunderbirds Break Through with 75-61 Victory over Idaho State

CEDAR CITY, Utah - Nov. 25 - Southern Utah women's basketball got its first win of the season with a 75-61 home victory over Idaho State on Tuesday night. The win moves the Thunderbirds to 1-3 on the year, while the Bengals drop to 2-3.

"It was a great team effort tonight," interim head coach Kit Janes said following the game. "We ran the floor well and found the open people."

SUU got off to a slow start and was down 4-0, but a complete line-up change one minute into the game by Janes turned the momentum around as the Thunderbirds pulled together a 10-2 run over the next five minutes. The lead grew to double digits (16-6) for the first time in the game as the starters, once again, returned to the floor and collected six points on a Cassie Platt jumper and back-to-back lay-ups by Anne Westwood Higbee.

Southern Utah held the Bengals to single digits throughout most of the first half as the Thunderbirds' lead grew to as much as 17 (26-9) with 8:53 remaining, following a jumper by Platt. SUU held its largest lead of the opening stanza of 19 (38-19) with 1:56 to play, but carried a 40-23 advantage into the break.

In all, the Thunderbirds shot 54.8 percent from the floor in the first half while limiting Idaho State to 20.6-percent shooting.

In the second half, Southern Utah came out of the locker rooms slowly, hitting only three shots over the first seven minutes of the frame. However, a staunch defense kept Idaho State from capitalizing during the dry spell as the Thunderbirds maintained a 48-33 with 13 minutes remaining.

The Bengals chipped away at the Thunderbird lead over the next two-and-a-half minutes to get to within ten (48-38) with 10:38 showing on the clock, but that was as close as the visiting team would come down the stretch. Southern Utah used the next four minutes to pull together a 13-2 run, putting the home team up by 21 (61-40).

The lead continued to hold over the final minutes of the game with Southern Utah collecting the 75-61 victory. Higbee led all scorers with a game-high 17 points, but was joined in double figures by Platt (ten), Caitlyn Sears (12) and Cassi Jones (11). Jones collected the Thunderbirds' first double double of the season with 11 rebounds in addition to two blocks and one steal.

Idaho State's Devin Diehl matched Higbee's 17 points to lead the Bengals with Oana Iacovita (11) and Jenna Brown (ten) also picking up double-digit scoring numbers. Michelle Grohs led ISU with ten rebounds.

Southern Utah will be back on the court on Friday night when the Thunderbirds travel to the Marriott Center and face Brigham Young University. Tip-off for that game is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.

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