Idaho State vs. Sacramento State
Date: Thursday, January 27, 2011
Tip-off: 7:05 p.m.
Idaho State vs. Eastern Washington
Date: Saturday, January 29, 2011
Tip-off: 2:05 p.m.
Site: ICCU Court at Reed Gym
TV: Big Sky TV
Live Stats: http://www.isu.edu/athletic/xlive.htm
Radio: The Bengal Radio Network, KISU 91.1 FM, Pocatello. (Play by play:
Mark Liptak, Color Commentary:
Brad Bugger). Carried throughout Southern Idaho and on the Internet at www.isubengals.com.
Game Notes: Sacramento State and Eastern Washington
BENGALS IN ACTION THIS WEEK
Idaho State (11-7, 2-3 BSC) happily returns home after a four-game road stretch to host Sacramento State and Eastern Washington at Reed Gym where ISU is on a 10-game home win streak. The Bengals play Sacramento State on Thursday, Jan. 27 at 7:05 p.m. for the second meeting of the season with ISU defeating the Hornets on the road on Jan. 15. Idaho State plays Eastern Washington for the first time on Saturday, Jan. 29 at 2:05 p.m.
MULTIMEDIA INFORMATION
ISU's contest will be broadcast by KISU 91.1 FM and online at www.isubengals.com. The action will be brought to you by play-by-play announcer
Mark Liptak with color commentary from
Brad Bugger. Fans can follow along through video streaming online at www.bigskytv.com as well as through live stats at www.isubengals.com. Fans can purchase tickets at www.isubengals.com or by calling 208-282-FANS. Individual game tickets can also be purchased one hour before tip-off.
ABOUT THE BENGALS
The Bengals have held fifth place in the Big Sky standings for the third straight week. ISU is still hanging in the middle of the pack with a 2-3 record after a three-game losing streak on the road. Idaho State is averaging 41.9 percent from the field while holding opponents to 37.3 percent. A small team, the Bengals are edged out on rebounding 43-to-34. ISU opened Big Sky play with a two-game win streaking splitting time at home and on the road.
REMATCH TO RETURN TO WINNING WAYS
Idaho State's last victory was a 76-51 contest at Sacramento State capping an eight-game win streak. However, the Bengals time on the road wore the young squad down as they dropped the next three contests away from home. Idaho State looks to regain its winning ways with a victory at home over the Hornets to complete the sweep.
BENGAL STANDOUTS
Idaho State is led in scoring by senior guard
Chelsea Pickering averaging 17.3 points per game for the season, 15 in Big Sky play. ISU has four players scoring double-figures for the season, three in Big Sky play. Sophomore guard
Kaela Oakes leads ISU from distance for the season with 45.3 percent, she is hitting 43.5 percent in league action. Pickering has hit 10-of-20 (50 percent) from three-point range in Big Sky play. Freshman guard
Lindsey Reed has turned up her rebounding heat a notch as she pulled down her first double-figure game at Montana State with 10 improving her Big Sky rebounding average to 7.6 per game.
TWO BENGALS WITH DOUBLE-FIGURE REBOUND GAMES
Idaho State has struggled as a team to rebound and posts just two players with double-figure rebound games. Sophomore forward
Ashleigh Vella pulled down 11 boards in her career-high 31-point game at Utah on Dec. 8 for ISU's first win over the Utes. Reed, a freshman guard, rebounded 10 balls at Montana State on Jan. 24 for her career-high night.
BENGALS SOLID AT THE LINE
Idaho State posts the 6th best free throw percentage (as of 12/23/10) in the nation with the team hitting 77.4 percent from the line. ISU still has its work cut out for themselves since the 2007-08 Idaho State women's basketball program set the NCAA all-time record, regardless of division and gender hitting 83.2 percent. Oakes leads ISU's effort knocking down 52 of her 64 attempts to hit 81.3 percent of her shots. A clutch shooter, Oakes is a perfect 14-of-14 from the line in the final two minutes of games.
FOUR BENGALS IN DOUBLE FIGURE SCORING
Idaho State has four players in double-figure scoring for the eighth straight week. Pickering posts the second best scoring average in the league for all games with 17.1 points per game. ISU's other three players to average double-figures in scoring include Oakes with 12.4, followed by Vella with 11.9 and Reed with 10.3.
NOTES ABOUT PICKERING
Lead the Big Sky in scoring average for seniors with 17.1 ppg and in three-point field goal percentage at 53.8 percent. She has had four 20-point performances this season and one 30-point performance with a career-high tying 31 points at Texas State. She posts the 61st best scoring average in the nation at 17.1 ppg. She leads the Big Sky in steals per game for the season with 2.4. She holds the league record this season with seven made treys at Sacramento State and ties for first in steals for all games played with seven at Utah. In Big Sky games she posts the second best three-point field goal percentage at 53.8.
NOTES ON OAKES
Sophomore guard Oakes leads the Big Sky in three-point field goal percentage with a 46.8 effort over all games and leads the sophomores of the Big Sky in conference games with 3.8 assists per game. She has recorded four 20-point performances this season and holds the 96th best free throw percentage in the nation at 80.9. In conference games, she posts the fifth best scoring average at 16.5 ppg.
BENGALS ON TEN-GAME HOME WIN STREAK
Idaho State is on a ten-game home win streak dating back to early February of the 2009-10 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.
ABOUT SACRAMENTO STATE
Sacramento State is ninth in the conference races with an 0-6 record in league play. The Hornets ranked 318 out of 343 teams in the nation and are on a ten-game losing streak and post a 1-8 away record. Sacramento State's last victory was it's only road win, a 78-65 victory over Santa Clara. Sacramento State touts one of the best players in the Big Sky in Kylie Kuhns. Kuhns averages 12.8 points and 9.7 rebounds per game in league play. Her 11.6 rebound average for the season is the seventh best in the nation.
SERIES INFO AGAINST THE HORNETS
Idaho State holds a 29-1 series record over the Hornets. In their first meeting last season Sacramento State recorded its first every victory over the Bengals in an 80-71 decision at the Hornets Nest. However, Idaho State redeemed itself with a hard fought 69-67 overtime win at home. Idaho State is 4-0 in overtime games against the Hornets with ISU capturing its first ever overtime victory in the Big Sky Conference tournament with a 78-76 quarterfinal win in 2009. ISU's last victory over the Hornets was the first meeting of the season, a 71-56 decision at the Hornets Nest.
ABOUT EASTERN WASHINGTON
Eastern Washington will play at Portland State on Jan. 27 before heading to Pocatello. The Eagles are 4-1 in conference play for a third place ranking. The team is on a two-game win streak and has won five of the last six contests. The Eagles are 2-1 on the road in Big Sky play having fallen only to Northern Colorado. Eastern Washington's Brianne Ryan scored 33 points in EWU's 98-70 victory over Sacramento State. She leads the team averaging 21.2 points in conference play.
SERIES INFO AGAINST THE EAGLES
Eastern Washington leads the series 33-29 having captured 13 of the last 15 meetings. ISU's last victory over the Eagles was a 71-63 effort at Reed Gym in the beginning of ISU's home game win streak. ISU's last loss to Eastern Washington was in the first meeting of the 2009-10 season on the road. ISU fell 70-60 to the Eagles who went on to post a 12-4 conference record to capture the regular season title for the first time.
--www.isubengals.com--
