Idaho State at Northern Arizona
Date: Thursday, January 6, 2011
Tipoff: 6:35 p.m.
Site: Rolle Activity Center
TV: Big Sky TV (Fox College Sports Pacific Dish Network 9411)
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 returns to the road for its first Big Sky Conference road game at Northern Arizona at 6:35 p.m. Idaho State is 5-9 and 1-1 in Big Sky Conference play while NAU is 8-6 and 0-2 in league play with its losses being to Montana and Montana State on the road.
Idaho State leads the series 47-39. The Bengals have won three of the last four meetings, splitting the series last year, winning 73-71 in overtime in Pocatello and losing 68-56 at NAU. ISU swept the series in 2008-09.
Northern Arizona is scoring 74.9 points a game and 79 in its first two Big Sky games. NAU is shooting 49.7 percent from the field and 44.1 percent from the 3-point line. The Lumberjacks are averaging 36.1 rebounds and 16.9 assists. Cameron Jones leads NAU in scoring at 18 a game while Gabe Rogers is scoring 12.2 points-a-contest.
Bengals in Overtime Games
Since Joe O'Brien has been head coach the Bengals have played 17 overtimes games, going 5-12 when games go to the extra period. Last year ISU was 2-1 in overtime, in 2008-09 the Bengals were 1-4 while in 2007-08 they finished 1-2 in OT games. In O'Brien's first year his team played five overtime games but went 0-5.
Opportunity Seized
Freshman Andre' Hatchett has taken advantage of an opportunity for playing time during the World Vision Invitational. Against Troy he had a career-high 12 points while grabbing three rebounds and two steals in a season-best 20 minutes of play. Against Utah State, he played 14 minutes and scored six points off the bench. In the two games in Logan he is 6-for-8 from the field and 4-for-5 from the three-point line. He finished the three days playing 15.7 minutes a game, averaging six points, three rebounds while making 4-for-5 from the three-point line. Two games later against Portland State he played a career-high 25 minutes and scored 10 points.
Rebounding Machine
Deividas Busma continues to lead Idaho State in rebounding as he is currently averaging 7.9 a contest. In the last five games he is bringing down 9.8 boards a games. He has had three straight games of double-figure rebounds. 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.
Seeing Double
Deividas Busma is the first Bengal basketball player in two years to record three straight double-doubles. The streak started with 16 points and a career-high 14 rebounds against Western Michigan. He then had 19 points and 12 rebounds against Sacramento State and against Portland State he had 22 points and 11 rebounds. Demetrius Monroe opened the 2008-09 season off with four straight double-doubles and then later in the year he had three straight double-doubles in games against Utah, Wisconsin and Wisconsin Green Bay.
Bengals in Overtime Games
Since Joe O'Brien has been head coach the Bengals have played 17 overtimes games, going 5-12 when games go to the extra period. Last year ISU was 2-1 in overtime, in 2008-09 the Bengals were 1-4 while in 2007-08 they finished 1-2 in OT games. In O'Brien's first year his team played five overtime games but went 0-5.
Opportunity Seized
Freshman Andre' Hatchett has taken advantage of an opportunity for playing time during the World Vision Invitational. Against Troy he had a career-high 12 points while grabbing three rebounds and two steals in a season-best 20 minutes of play. Against Utah State, he played 14 minutes and scored six points off the bench. In the two games in Logan he is 6-for-8 from the field and 4-for-5 from the three-point line. He finished the three days playing 15.7 minutes a game, averaging six points, three rebounds while making 4-for-5 from the three-point line. Two games later against Portland State he played a career-high 25 minutes and scored 10 points.
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