As regular season champions , Idaho State hosted and won the second edition of the four-team conference tournament ; the NCAA tournament started on their home floor with a victory over Long Beach State . the Bengals drew national attention with their one-point upset of longtime power UCLA in the After UCLA scored to draw within one , freshman reserve guard Eddie Wheeler was quickly fouled in the backcourt with eight seconds remaining ; he made both to go up by three . UCLA scored again with a second left , but time ran out after ISU successfully got the ball inbounds . Wheeler had earlier hit both free throws with 37 seconds remaining ; the Bengals made nine of ten free throws in the final two This was the first time since 1963 that UCLA made the tournament but failed to get to the Final Four
conference tournament
1977 Big Sky Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
1976–77 Idaho State Bengals men's basketball team