Ross' Game Winner Gives Chicago State 57-55 WAC Win At Idaho

Senior Matt Ross' last second rebound and basket gave the
 Cougars a road WAC win over Idaho.
(Courtesy Chicago State Athletics)

MOSCOW, Idaho  -- Senior Matt Ross (Dixon, Ill./Dixon)' put back basket with 3.2 seconds remaining lifted Chicago State to a 57-55 victory over Idaho on Saturday (Jan. 4) evening at the Cowan Spectrum. The win gives the Cougars their first Western Athletic Conference in program history.

"We told the guys in the huddle to hit the boards in that final possession and that's just what Matt did," Chicago State head coach Tracy Dildy said. "This is a big win for us. We knew Idaho was going to make a run but the guys didn't panic in the final minute."

Idaho's only lead of the game came on the first basket of the game at 2-0. Senior Quinton Pippen (Hamburg, Ark./Hamburg) drained a deep 3-pointer from the top of the arc at the buzzer of the first half to put the Cougars up 38-28 at the break. Chicago State scored the first four points of the second half, including two on a turn around jumper by Pippen, to build a 14-point lead.

While the Vandals kept it under double-digits for most of the second half it seemed Chicago State was close to putting the game away when senior Corey Gray (Houston, Texas/Hightower) made a step back jumper with 2:39 left to put the Cougars up 55-48. Then the Vandals went on a run. Idaho scored the next seven points while Chicago State committed two turnovers and missed a pair of free throws in the process.

Idaho's Mike Scott capped the 7-0 run on a layup with 1:05 left. On the ensuing possession, first it was Pippen missing a 3-pointer with 41 seconds left. Gray grabbed the long offensive rebound and asked for a timeout. Chicago State drained the clock before Gray drove to the basket with five seconds. He saw his layup attempt roll off the rim but Ross was there for the rebound and the basket.

Idaho still had 3.2 seconds remaining but failed to get a shot off in the final moments.

The Cougars were led by Pippen's game-high 18 points. The senior made his first six shots of the game. Pippen finished with four 3-pointers to bring his career total at CSU to 103. He is now tied for seventh all-time in career 3-pointers at Chicago State with Tony Weeden (2003-05) .

Senior Eddie Denard (Chicago, Ill./Foreman) added 13 points, with 11 coming in the first half.

"Our start was big," Dildy said. "We shot 54 percent in the first half and 44 percent from three in the first half. On the road you need starts like that. We went inside early and Eddie got some of those big shots in the first half."

Ross finished with eight points and eight rebounds. Grey added four points, five assists and three steals.

Chicago State shot 22-of-50 (44.0 percent) from the floor. Idaho finished 19-of-47 (40.4 percent) from the field.

The win was the Cougars' first road victory of the season.

Idaho falls to 6-10 (0-2 WAC). Chicago State improves to 6-8 (1-0 WAC). Chicago State steps out of WAC play on Tuesday when UW-Green Bay comes to town. Tip at the JCC will be 7 p.m.

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COURTESY CHICAGO STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS