kang@journalnet.com

As the Idaho State women's basketball team boarded its bus Saturday evening and embarked on a 13-hour ride back to Pocatello, its players had at least one thing to feel glad about.

"They're happy to be going home," Idaho State coach Seton Sobolewski said via cell phone.

The Bengals dropped a 68-55 decision to North Dakota State in the consolation game of the Loyola Marymount Thanksgiving Tournament on Saturday in Los Angeles, capping a winless week-long road trip.

For the second consecutive day, post Oana Iacovita erupted in the second half and helped the Bengals hang in the game against a more physically imposing team. But Iacovita's double-double and Grohs' team-high 16 points weren't enough to help the Bengals overtake the Bison.

"It's hard to be happy with a loss, but we're competitive right now, even in situations where we're overmatched," Sobolewski said. "We've got to keep improving and find ways to get over the hump. We're progressing, but it's going to take a little bit more time."

The Bengals (2-5) at times have demonstrated glimpses of that progress. They stayed within a score of tournament host and eventual champion Loyola Marymount more than 30 minutes into Friday's game before letting it slip away.

Fielding a diminutive backcourt of 5-foot-3 point guard Jenna Brown and 5-foot-5 wing Sheila Adams, who started in place of Chelsea Pickering, Idaho State was similarly outmatched by a North Dakota State team that featured five starters 5-foot-8 or taller.

Idaho State led only once, 25-24, with 5:27 left in the first half and trailed 32-27 at the half. The Bengals twice sliced the lead to three after halftime, but they simply couldn't contend with the Bison's size, both on offense and defense.

Abby Plucker, the Bison's 5-foot-11 wing, scored a game-high 19 points and helped them outscore the Bengals 32-18 in the paint. The Bengals committed three shot clock violations and earned a season-low nine free-throw attempts, compared to 24 for the Bison.

"It wasn't like we weren't penetrating," Sobolewski said. "They're just so much bigger. When you drive in there, you're going to have a tough, contested shot. We were running into people. We were drawing contact, and the calls just weren't being made."

Iacovita, who finished with 13 points and 14 rebounds and earned an all-tournament selection, scored 12 after halftime. Her efforts helped keep the Bison's lead in single digits until the final minute of the game, but they weren't enough to help the Bengals overtake the Bison.

"We try to keep things positive," Sobolewski said. "It's hard when you're in the position to win and you're competitive, but you just can't get over the hump. I can't bury people for that because their effort has been there."

Nothing serious

Junior wing Devin Diehl aggravated a left knee injury in the second half and did not return. Diehl developed a huge bruise on her left calf after a collision at practice last week, and Sobolewski suspects that initial injury led to the latest inflammation in her knee.

Sobolewski said Diehl was still limping around after the game, but he doesn't expect her to miss their next game against Montana-Western on Wednesday.

"I don't think it's going to be anything that's going to keep her from playing," Sobolewski said. "From what the trainers are telling me, it's not anything serious."