POCATELLO, Idaho (Interstat) — The Idaho State Bengals used a dominant first half and a disruptive defense to remain unbeaten, defeating the UC Irvine Anteaters 61-49 in a nonconference women’s basketball game Wednesday night at Holt Arena.

The Bengals improved to 3-0, while the Anteaters fell to 1-2.

Idaho State seized control early, outscoring UC Irvine 19-9 in the first quarter and 18-15 in the second to take a 37-24 lead into halftime. The Anteaters struggled to find any offensive rhythm against an aggressive Bengals defense that forced 22 turnovers and recorded 15 steals.

UC Irvine mounted a challenge in the fourth quarter, outscoring Idaho State 17-8, but the early deficit proved too large to overcome. The Anteaters closed the gap late, but could not draw closer than the final margin.

The game was defined by Idaho State’s defensive pressure and efficiency. The Bengals converted 21 points off UC Irvine turnovers and outscored the Anteaters 32-16 in the paint. Idaho State also shared the ball effectively, dishing out 15 assists compared to just three for UC Irvine.

Kacey Spink led a balanced Idaho State attack with eight points, nine rebounds and five assists. Piper Carlson added 10 points and nine rebounds, while Tasia Jordan chipped in 12 points and five rebounds. The Bengals shot 39% from the floor.

For UC Irvine, Lauryn Madsen was the lone player to reach double figures, finishing with 12 points. Naomy Zonzon-Huyghe added nine points. The Anteaters were efficient from beyond the arc, hitting 7 of 17 three-point attempts, and were perfect from the free-throw line, making all eight of their attempts. However, their offensive flow was consistently disrupted by Idaho State’s defense, resulting in an offensive rating of just 74.5 points per 100 possessions.

Nohealani Stores pulled down nine rebounds for the Anteaters in the losing effort.

Idaho State’s victory was its second over a Division I opponent this season, following a road win at Grand Canyon. UC Irvine was coming off a season-opening win against San Diego before falling to Arizona in its previous contest.

The announced attendance at Holt Arena was 807.

Idaho State next hosts South Dakota on Sunday. UC Irvine returns home to face Northern Arizona on Saturday.