GAME NOTES |
AUDIO |
BENGALS IN ACTION THIS WEEK
Idaho State opens the 2011-12 season on the road with contests against UTEP Saturday, Nov. 12 and New Mexico State Monday, Nov. 14. The Bengals face off against the Miners of UTEP at the Don Haskins Center at 1:05 p.m. MST. Idaho State faces the Aggies at the Pan American Center at 6:35 p.m. MST. Fans can listen in to both games by tuning into 91.1 FM KISU or clicking on the audio streaming link at www.isubengals.com. Videostreaming and live stats for both events can be accessed at
www.utepathletics.com and
www.nmstatesports.com.
LAST SEASON RESULTS IN A NUTSHELL
The Bengals come off their 13th Big Sky Tournament appearance where Idaho State fell in the quarterfinals 66-53 to eventual tournament champion Montana. The tournament showing marked Idaho State's eighth consecutive showing, the longest streak in school history. Idaho State finished the 2010-11 season with an 18-12 overall record, the third most wins in a single season in program history. ISU also posted a 9-7 Big Sky record, good for the fifth seed in the conference tournament. Senior
Chelsea Pickering was named first-team all-conference while juniors
Kaela Oakes and
Ashleigh Vella earned all-conference honorable mention.
LOOKING AHEAD TO THE PLAYERS OF THE 2010-11 SEASON
Idaho State returns eight letterwinners to the team and five starters, including all four of the top scorers from last season. Idaho State is led by one senior,
Chelsea Pickering, who led the team last year in scoring during the 2010-11 campaign. The team also features five juniors including 2011 all-conference honorable mention honorees
Kaela Oakes and
Ashleigh Vella. Pickering played and started in all 30 games last season. The Lumberton, Texas native averaged 16.2 points and 4.8 rebounds. Oakes averaged 12.3 points and 3.1 rebounds per game while Vella averaged 12.0 points and 3.1 rebounds. Also returning is sophomore
Lindsey Reed who in her freshman year averaged 10.6 points and 6.4 rebounds.
ISU also returns four players who made a considerable contribution off the bench last season. Sophomore
Kara Jenkins played in all 30 games, starting 15 while averaging 3.0 points and 3.0 rebounds per game. Sophomore guards
Cydney Horton and
Sheryl Bitter both played in 28 games last season while sophomore forward Jessica Jensen appeared in 22 games.
Along with the returning players, Sobolewski and his staff welcome eight newcomers who will bring depth to the Bengals' core of experience.
PICKERING GRANTED FIFTH YEAR
This is Pickering's fifth and final season playing for Idaho State. Pickering was granted a fifth year by the NCAA due to an injury that prevented her from playing most of the 2007-08 season.
BENGALS SCORE 100 POINTS IN EXHIBITION
The Idaho State women's basketball team broke the triple digit barrier for the first time since the 2006-07 season Saturday in an exhibition match-up against Montana Western as the Bengals rolled past the Bulldogs 100-61.
The last time the Bengals scored 100 or more points was in back-to-back games against Montana Tech (102-59) on Dec. 16, 2006 and again against Montana Western (102-64) on Dec. 20, 2006. Junior transfer
Jessa Jeppesen, led ISU with 19 points. The 6-2 forward also pulled down six rebounds, four offensive rebounds and two defensive.
RETURNING ALL-CONFERENCE ATHLETES
The 2011-12 women's basketball squad returns all three of last season's all-conference honorees. The three players named all-conference from the 2010-11 season include senior
Chelsea Pickering (First Team), junior
Kaela Oakes (Honorable Mention) and junior
Ashleigh Vella (Honorable Mention).
PICKERING NAMED LOWE'S SENIOR CLASS AWARD CANDIDATE
Senior
Chelsea Pickering has been selected as a candidate for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition.
The field of 60 (30 men and 30 women) will be narrowed to 10 men and 10 women candidates midway through the season. The award winner will be announced during the NCAA Final Four April 1-3.
ABOUT UTEP
The UTEP women's basketball team was selected fourth in the 2011-12 Conference USA Preseason Poll, as voted upon the league's 12 head coaches. Additionally, senior forward Gloria Brown was tabbed to the all-conference preseason team. The UTEP women's basketball team defeated St. Mary's, 79-56, in an exhibition contest at the Don Haskins Center Saturday.
Freshman Jenzel Nash paced the squad with 15 points but she was not the lone standout for the Miners. Junior Kristine Vitola (13 points, 11 rebounds) and sophomore Kayla Thornton (11 points, 10 rebounds) each recorded a double-double while junior Anete Steinberga (11 points) and freshman Chrishauna Parker (10 points) also reached double figures.
UTEP connected on 46.0 percent from the floor (29-of-63), including 52.0 percent (13-of-25) after the break. It was locked in at the free-throw line, nailing 16-of-22 attempts (72.7).
SERIES INFO AND LAST MEETING WITH UTEP
This will be the second meeting between UTEP and Idaho State. UTEP leads the series 1-0. The two schools last met Nov. 26, 2010 when the Miners handed the Bengals a 77-66 loss.
Kaela Oakes led the Bengals with a career-high 20 points in the first round of the Thanksgiving Tournament
ABOUT NEW MEXICO STATE
The Western Athletic Conference (WAC) coaches and media picked the New Mexico State women's basketball team to finish sixth in their respective preseason polls and honored senior forward Tabytha Wampler with All-WAC preseason honors. The New Mexico State women's basketball team came from behind to win 81-75 in overtime over New Mexico Highlands in an exhibition game inside the Pan American Center Monday, Oct. 31. Senior Tabytha Wampler finished with a double-double scoring a game-high 24 points and 15 boards. Senior Erica Sanchez added nine points and seven rebounds. But it was freshman point guard Hannah Womack who kept NM State in the game in the first half. Womack finished with 19 points on 13-of-16 shooting from the free throw line in 22 minutes of work.
SERIES INFO AND LAST MEETING WITH NEW MEXICO STATE
The Bengals meet New Mexico State for the ninth time in program history this season. New Mexico State leads the series 6-2. The two last met Dec. 28, 2002 at New Mexico State which resulsted in a 92-76 lost for ISU. Ashley Toner scored 18 points to lead four Bengals in double figures. As a team the Bengals shot a season-best 45.7 percent from the field (32-70), including 53.1 percent in the second half (17-32).
"We Are Your Bengals"
