Game Notes: Utah Valley
POCATELLO, Idaho - Idaho State (4-4) returns home to Reed Gym after a five game road trip in Texas over seven days to host Utah Valley (1-4) on Saturday, Dec. 4 at 2:05 p.m. The Bengals posted a 2-3 record on the road and held their own against bigger schools such as Texas Tech, UTEP and No. 16 Texas. ISU's contest against Utah Valley will be broadcast by KISU 91.1 FM and online at www.isubengals.com. Fans can watch the Bengals live through web streaming on Big Sky TV. Live stats are also available.
TICKET INFORMATION FOR WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Women's Basketball individual ticket prices for the 2010-2011 season are $10 for reserved seating behind the bench, $7.00 for adults and $3.00 for children in the general admission seating. Groups of ten or more and ISU student guests are $2.00 each. Season tickets are also available for sale and are $70.00 for the public and $35.00 for ISU faculty an staff. Single game tickets can be purchased in advance at the Holt Arena ticket office, over the telephone at (208) 282-FANS and online. Individual game tickets can also be purchased one hour before tipoff at the ticket booth in the foyer inside the front west doors of Reed Gym.
ABOUT THE BENGALS
Idaho State has three players in double-figure scoring led by senior guard Chelsea Pickering with 16.6 ppg followed by sophomore guard Kaela Oakes with 12. 1 ppg and freshman guard Lindsey Reed with 10.8 ppg. Oakes is Idaho State's most accurate shooter from any point on the court. She hits 41.8 percent (28-of-67) from the field and 44.0 percent (11-of-25) from the arc. Sophomore forward Ashleigh Vella continues to lead the Bengals in rebounds with 6.6 per game. Cydney Horton, a freshman forward, leads Idaho State with 11 blocked shots.
PICKERING LEADS BIG SKY SCORING
Chelsea Pickering, a senior guard, leads the Big Sky in scoring averaging 16.6 points per game and overall scoring with 133 points. She is followed by Sacramento State's Kylie Kuhns who averages 15.9 ppg. The Bengal's Kaela Oakes is ISU's next leading scorer averaging 12.1 ppg for the seventh best mark in the league.
ISU'S PRACTICE SCHEDULE
Wednesday – Film and practice 2:00-5:00 p.m. and weights after
Thursday – Film and practice 2:30-6:00 p.m.
Friday – Film and practice 3:00-5:00 p.m.
Saturday - Game Day
BENGALS ON SIX-GAME HOME WIN STREAK
Idaho State is on a six-game home win streak dating back to early February of last season. It is the longest home win streak under Head Coach Sobolewski. Idaho State's longest home win streak was 17 matches from the end of the 1999-00 season to the start of the 2001-02 season. The Bengals were undefeated with a 15-0 home record in 2000-01 and posted an overall record of 25-5; ISU was 16-0 in conference play. ISU's current streak began with a 79-75 overtime win over Weber State. It's win over Portland State the next week clinched ISU's spot in the conference tournament, its seventh straight appearance 12th overall, with a 63-51 win. The Bengals rolled past Eastern Washington 71-63 the following night. Senior day for Oana Iacovita, Andrea Videbeck and Devin Diehl ended with a 69-67 victory over Sacramento State. Though it was the last home game for those seniors, ISU continued the winning tradition at home the next season opening the year with a 63-55 win over Loyola Marymount. It was the first time since the 2003-04 season that Idaho State had won a season-opener when they defeated Lewis & Clark 104-51. Idaho State captured its sixth home victory over Air Force, 68-58 in mid-November.
LAST WEEK'S RESULTS-TEXAS TECH
Idaho State played five games in Texas over seven days. Idaho State opened at Texas Tech holding the Lady Raiders to a six point lead at the half. ISU held Texas Tech to a 26.3 percent average from the field and an 18.8 percent average from the arc in the first half while hitting 37.5 percent from both areas. Idaho State maintained its consistency, but the Lady Raiders' three-point shooting improved hitting 7-of-17 from the arc in the second half. Idaho State fell 64-52 to Texas Tech.
Senior guard Chelsea Pickering was the only Bengal to post double-figures in scoring with 15 points. All 11 players who traveled had time on the court and every Bengal but ISU's leading scorer at the time, Lindsey Reed, scored. Senior guard Kari Green and sophomore forward Shannon Byrne scored their first points of the season. Pickering was awarded her first big sky player of the week honors for her effort against Air Force the week before and against Texas Tech.
LAST WEEK'S RESULTS-TEXAS STATE
Senior guard Chelsea Pickering scored a career-high tying 31 points to lead the Bengals to a 69-52 victory over the Bobcats. Pickering hit 10-of-22 from the field, 6-of-10 from the arc and 5-of-7 from the line. She also posted a career-high five steals. Freshman guard Lindsey Reed recorded 16 points while sophomore forward Ashleigh Vella chipped in 10 points.
LAST WEEK'S RESULTS- NO. 16 TEXAS
No one expected the Bengals to hold on, let alone post a lead against No. 16 Texas, but Idaho State stunned them all. The Bengals held a five point lead nine minutes into the first half. Idaho State held its final lead with 6:53 remaining in the first period, ahead 27-26. The Longhorns out-scored the Bengals by one-point, 30-29, in the second half, with the Bengals out shooting the Longhorns 37.9 to 32.4 percent. Overall the Bengals out-shot Texas with a 47.3 percent (26-of-55) effort. Idaho State also shot well from the arc to post 53.8 percent (7-of-13) for a season-high.
LAST WEEK'S RESULTS - UTEP
Sophomore guard Kaela Oakes led the Bengals with a career-high 20 points in Idaho State's 77-66 loss to UTEP at the first round of the Thanksgiving Tournament. UTEP's hot shooting from beyond the arc distanced the Miners from the Bengals by ten points late in the first half. UTEP hit 7-of-12 in the first half alone and was 11-of-19 for the game for a season-high 57.9 percent.
LAST WEEK'S RESULTS - HIGH POINT
Oakes topped herself during the consolation game of the Thanksgiving Tournament. She posted back-to-back career-high nights recording 27 points in Idaho State's 62-55 victory over High Point Saturday afternoon at the Don Haskins Center. Oakes improved upon her previous career-high of 20 points she scored against UTEP the night before.
MVP AND All-TOURNAMENT TEAM HONORS
Back-to-back career-high scoring nights earned sophomore guard Kaela Oakes MVP honors at the UTEP Thanksgiving tournament. Oakes and senior guard Chelsea Pickering earned all-tournament team honors. Oakes averaged 23.5 ppg, 66.7 percent shooting from the field, 70 percent from the arc, 85.7 percent from the line while averaging five rebounds per game. Pickering averaged 14.5 ppg and hit 38.5 percent from the field.
BEST SHOOTING EFFORT UNDER SOBOLEWSKI
At No. 16 Texas the Bengals posted a season-high mark from the field and from the three-point line. ISU's hit 47.3 (26-of-55) from the field and 53.8 percent (7-of-13) from the arc. Idaho State's best field goal and three-point shooting percentage under Head Coach Sobolewski was in his first season, 2008-09, when the Bengals had just eight players including a walk-on. ISU hit 56.6 percent (30-of-53) at home in an 83-60 (+23) victory over Montana Western. In the quarterfinals of the Big Sky Conference tournament Idaho State recorded 61.5 percent (8-of-13) from the arc in a 78-76 overtime victory where forward Oana Iacovita hit a jump shot with .06 seconds left to defeat Sacramento State.
BENGALS ROCK NIGHT GAMES
Idaho State is undefeated this season in night games with a 3-0 record. The team captured its first afternoon victory over High Point improving its record to a 1-4 record.
PICKERING SCORED 500TH CAREER POINT
Chelsea Pickering recorded her 500th career-point in her home state of Texas at No. 16 Texas when she recorded 18 points. After ISU's Texas trip she owns 534 career-points.
RANKED OPPONENTS
Idaho State played tough against its third ranked opponent under Head Coach Sobolewski, No. 16 Texas (82-68). Idaho State fell to 0-3 against ranked opponents. Last season the Bengals fell to its first ranked opponent No. 13 California (100-43) in a loss that tied the program's third largest margin of defeat at 57. The Bengals have learned from its first effort and turned around their effort at No. 15 Arizona State 65-56, falling by just nine points.
BENGALS OPEN THE SEASON WITH SPARK
Idaho State opened the season with a 63-55 victory over Loyola Marymount at Reed Gym. Lindsey Reed posted a game-high 21 points, eight rebounds and three steals in 35 minutes of play. She was 7-of-15 from the field, including three-of-five from the three-point line. It was the first time since the 2003-04 season that Idaho State had won a season-opener when they defeated Lewis & Clark 104-51.
PICKERING GRANTED FIFTH YEAR
Senior guard Chelsea Pickering was granted a fifth year by the NCAA when injuries plagued the Bengal during her freshman season allowing her to play just 17 minutes over three contests. Pickering will continue to compete as a senior for the 2010-11 season as her first year statistics still count toward her career record.
BENGALS SIGN THREE GUARDS FROM WASHINGTON
Idaho State women's basketball inked three guards from Washington to National Letters of Intent during basketball's early signing period. The Bengals acquired signatures from Eatonville's Rebecca Schrimpsher, Issaquah's Blaire Brady and Evergreen's Justine Joudrey.
ABOUT UTAH VALLEY AND SERIES INFO
Utah Valley holds a 1-4 record and will host Utah State on Wednesday, Dec. 1 at 7:05 p.m. before heading down to Pocatello. UVU captured its first victory of the season, a 90-46 effort at home over Northern New Mexico.
The Wolverines had four players in double-figures led by Kim Bell with 25 points hitting 8-of-11 from the field and 9-of-12 from the line. Idaho State and Utah Valley are tied in its series competition at 3-3. The Wolverines defeated the Bengals 76-65 on their home turf in the last match up. ISU's last victory was its second meeting with UVU during the 2006-07 season when Idaho State posted a 85-74 victory on Jan. 6, 2007.
Utah Valley is led in scoring by Sammie Jensen who averages 15 ppg. She is followed by Kim Bell with 9.6 and Jenna Johnson with 9.4 ppg. Jensen also leads the Wolverines in rebounds with 8.6 per game. Both Jensen and Bell hit 40 percent or better from the field. UVU averages 65.2 ppg. Their loses have included an 87-38 preseason WNIT game at South Dakota State, followed by a 83-66 loss at Lamar and a 73-69 loss against Austin Peay. In its first home game UVU fell to Southern Utah 63-73.
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