POCATELLO, Idaho (UPI)- Richard Barton scored 27 points and sank the game-winning basket on an 18-foot jumper with 24 seconds left Saturday night to lift Southern Utah State to a 90-88 victory at Idaho State.
Chris Naulls added 18 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for Southern Utah State, 5-5, while Roger McDonald had 16 points and Wade Wyatt 14.
Idaho State dropped to 3-7 with the loss.
Butch Mettinger led the Bengals with 20 points, while Steve Garrity had 19, Kirkland Ivory 15 and Aaron Grizzell 12.
The Bengals battled back from down 19-6 7:45 into the game to lead 41-38 at halftime. But the Thunderbirds tied the score for the ninth time in the second half, 88-88, on a layin by Naulls with :59 left and won the game on Barton's jumper.
Idaho State tried a pair of 3-point baskets, by Grizzell and then by Mettinger, in the closing seconds to pull out the victory. But both bounced off the rim. SUSC outshot Idaho State 58 percent to 45 percent on field goals.
