Idaho State vs. Montana
Date: Thursday, January 20, 2011
Tipoff: 7:05 p.m.
Site: Reed Gym
TV: Big Sky TV
Radio: The Bengal Radio Network, flagshipped at ESPN Radio 930-AM KSEI, Pocatello. (
Jerry Miller, play-by-play). Carried throughout Southern Idaho and on the Internet at www.isubengals.com.
GAME NOTES
POCATELLO, Idaho- Idaho State (5-12, 1-4) returns home for the first time since Jan. 2 to play host to Montana at 7 p.m. in Reed Gym. The game can be heard live on 930 KSEI with
Jerry Miller and
Brad Bugger calling the action.
Bengal fans can attend Thursday's game vs. Montana and Monday the 24th's game vs. Montana State for $16, the normal price of one game. Fans can purchase tickets by logging onto isubengals.com or by calling the Idaho State Athletics ticket office at (208) 282-FANS or by going to either of the Vickers Western Stores in Pocatello and Idaho Falls.
Montana leads the overall series 90-44. The two teams split the season series last year as ISU won 67-65 in Pocatello and lost 91-68 in Missoula. Idaho State has won five of the last eight meetings against Montana.
Montana comes into Thursday's game winners of eight of its last nine games with the only loss being a 63-45 defeat at Northern Colorado. Montana has won three straight and it is 4-4 away from Missoula. Will Cherry leads the team in scoring at 16.3 points a game and Brian Qvale is scoring 13.6 points and bringing down a team-best 8.4 rebounds a game. Montana is scoring 68.8 points a game, shooting 45.5 percent from the field and averaging 36 rebounds a game. Montana is also ranked No. 13 in the latest Mid-Major Top 25 poll.
NCAA RPI Update
In the most recent NCAA RPI rankings, Idaho State is No. 275. The highest ranked RPI of a Bengal opponent is Arizona at 28. Utah State is 44 while Colorado is 71. Montana is 120 while Creighton is 121. Northern Colorado is 139, Iowa is 166, Weber State is 173, Northern Arizona is 181, Western Michigan 186, Montana State 195, South Dakota State 215, UMKC 232, CSU Bakersfield, 251, Portland State 254, Idaho State 275, Eastern Washington 324 and Sacramento State 342.
Big Sky Season Bests
Broderick Gilchrest's 39 points at Colorado remains a season-best out of all Big Sky players. Kevin Winford from Eastern Washington also scored 39 against NH Christian early in the year. David Busma's five blocked shots against Troy ties for the third best single-game mark this season. Busma has the best free throw percentage in the conference at 1.000 (11-for-11) while
Kenny McGowen has the best free throw percentage (.846) out of all Big Sky juniors.
Rebounding Machine
Deividas Busma continues to lead Idaho State in rebounding as he is currently averaging 7.8 a contest. In the last five games he has brought down 8.8 boards a games. He had three straight games of double-figure rebounds prior to the Northern Arizona game. Against Western Michigan he had a career-best 14 and he followed that with 12 against Sacramento State on Dec. 31 and 11 against Portland State. In Big Sky games Busma is averaging 8.8 boards.
Conference Play Means Improvement for Grabau
Since the start of Big Sky play
Chase Grabau has improved in many statistical categories. His scoring has gone up from 6.9 points to 10.6 points a game. His rebounds have improved from 4.6 to five a game while his shooting percentage has shot from 46.9 percent to 54.8 percent. That has resulted in more minutes played as that has gone up from 26.8 in nonconference play to 32.4 in league play.
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