Jan. 9, 2010
Box Score
MOSCOW, Idaho - Senior Kyle Gibson scored 28 points, 19 in the second half, to lead Louisiana Tech to a 77-71 win at Idaho on Saturday at the Cowan Spectrum.
The Bulldogs improved to 15-2 overall and 3-0 in the Western Athletic Conference while Idaho dropped its first home game of the season and fell to 8-6 (1-2, WAC).
"I thought we came out a little slow in the second half and we knew it was going to take a full 40-minute effort," said head coach Kerry Rupp. "It was a game where each possession was critical."
Tech outscored the Vandals 29-15 over the final10:25 for their eighth-straight win, the most since 2000.
Junior DeAndre Brown tied a season-high with 19 points and added four steals. Sophomore Olu Ashaolu joined Brown in double figures with 12 points and nine rebounds.
In the first half, Magnum Rolle and Jamel Guyton, two starters, each picked up two fouls early in the period. Ashaolu, Gibson and Brown became main scoring options as the three combined for 30 of the Bulldog's 36 first-half points. Tech was down three as the Bulldogs held for the final shot of the half as Brown drained a 30-foot three-pointer to tie the game at 36-36. Five Bulldogs went into halftime with two fouls.
Tech was 14-28 (50 percent) in the first half and Idaho was 13-27 (48.1 percent).
Idaho's Mac Hopson hit a three-pointer to give the Vandals a 56-48 lead, its largest of the game, with 11:10 remaining. After that shot, the Bulldogs went on a 19-2 run to take a 67-58 lead at the two-minute mark with eleven of those points scored by Gibson.
The Vandals were hampered by 42.9 percent (9-21) shooting from the free throw line. The Bulldogs shot 70.8 percent (17-24).
Of the ten games played between the two teams, the last eight have been decided by 10 points or less. Both teams had trouble taking care of the ball as the Bulldogs had 17 turnovers and just four assists while the Vandals had 18 turnovers and 12 assists.
"That's not the best basketball we've played, but we found a way to win," Rupp said.
Hopson led the Vandals with 24 points and eight rebounds.
LA Tech will continue their road trip at Boise State on Monday at 8 p.m. CT.
