SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Idaho State outscored the Hornets, 36-13, in the second half to break open what had been a close game and defeat the Sacramento State women's basketball team, 62-35, in a Big Sky Conference matchup Saturday evening in Hornet Gym.
The Hornets shot just 13.8 percent (4-29) in the second half and 22.0 percent (13-59) for the game. The 35 points scored by Sacramento State tied for the fifth-lowest output in school history.
One bright spot for Sacramento State was senior guard Michelle St. Clair. Needing two three-pointers to break the Big Sky single-season record, St. Clair knocked down three treys to finish the season with a record 77. The previous mark had been 75, set last season by Weber State's Shelley Olson. In the final game of her four-year career, St. Clair finished with a team-high 11 points including six rebounds.
With the win, Idaho State won its final 18 games of the season while finishing with a 23-4 overall record and a 16-0 mark in the Big Sky. The Bengals, who will host the Big Sky Tournament as the No. 1 seed March 8-10, became the first team to finish with a perfect conference record since Montana accomplished the feat during the 1996-97 season.
With the loss, Sacramento State finished the season 3-23 and 1-15 in the conference. The Hornets ended the year losing their final 10 games.
Trailing, 26-17, with 2:09 remaining in the first half, the Hornets closed the half on a 5-0 run highlighted by a St. Clair three-pointer to go into halftime down, 26-22. The Bengals then opened the second stanza on a 7-0 run as the Hornets went scoreless for the first 4:49. With the score, 37-28, with 11:10 remaining, Idaho State finished strong, scoring 25 of the game's final 32 points.
No Hornet shot better than 30 percent from the field as Idaho State shot 40.0 percent (24-60) from the floor including 9-of-16 from the three-point line. The Bengals were led by Ashley Toner's 13 points as 11 different Bengals broke into the scoring column.
Playing in the final game of her Hornet career, senior Torilynn Boyd finished with six points and 10 rebounds. Freshman Tola Tallman finished with nine points and a career-high 17 rebounds. The 17 boards tied for the second-best total in the Big Sky this season.
St. Clair ended the season with a 15.8 points-per-game average, the second best mark in the Big Sky behind Montana State's Amy Meckling's 16.3 ppg.
