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BENGALS IN ACTION THIS WEEK
Idaho State (6-4) hosts a set of games this week in Holt Arena as the court in Reed Gym is being resurfaced and redesigned. Idaho State faces Oklahoma Panhandle State (1-9) Monday, Dec. 19 at 7 p.m. The Bengals then take on South Dakota (6-2) Wednesday, Dec. 21 at 7 p.m. 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. Live stats are availabe at
www.isubengals.com.
LAST WEEK IN BENGAL BASKETBALL
Idaho State (6-4) split a pair of games on the road against Utah and at home against Utah State in the latest women's hoops action. Idaho State fell to Utah on Tuesday, Dec. 6 in Salt Lake City. Junior guard
Kaela Oakes led the Bengals with nine points in ISU's 56-31 loss. The Bengals then returned to Reed Gym to face Utah State on Saturday, Dec. 10. Sophomore guard
Lindsey Reed led the Bengals with 16 points while Oakes posted 15, including a layup with nine seconds remaining to secure a 67-65 win over the Aggies.
BENGALS TO PLAY IN HOLT ARENA
Thanks to a donation from Idaho Central Credit Union, the court at Reed Gym will be redesigned and resurfaced. Work began on the court Dec. 11 and will be ready for the Bengals contest on Dec. 30 vs. Great Falls. This means Idaho State will play its games on Dec. 19 vs. Oklahoma Panhandle State and Dec. 21 vs. South Dakota in Holt Arena. Both games begin at 7 p.m. Ticket holders for those games will be able to use their tickets at Holt and all seats are general admission. Season ticket holders with reserved seating will be seated in sections DD, EE, FF and GG at Holt Arena.
HOLT ARENA QUICKFACTS
The last time the Idaho State women's basketball team played a game in Holt Arena was Feb. 9, 2002 when the Bengals defeated Sacramento State 75-49.
Idaho State won it's first Big Sky Conference Championship in Holt Arena in 2001 after defeating Montana 68-59. The Bengals moved into the title match-up after defeating Weber State 56-55 in the semifinals.
The championship win was ISU's 21st victory in a row. Four Bengals scored in double digits in the game led by Mandi Carver with 16 points. The Bengals won the title in front of 5,028 fans and achieved the program's 300th victory.
Idaho State's all-time record at Holt Arena is 88-79 (.527). The most points scored at Holt Arena by a Bengal is 31, scored by Theresa Mallak Feb. 6, 1999. Mandi Carver pulled down 22 rebounds Dec. 13, 2001 against UC Irvine for the best rebounding performance for ISU and tying the best performance in Holt by any ISU player or opponent.
SOBOLEWSKI-OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE STATE CONNECTION
After starting on the men's basketball team at Eastern Arizona College from 1995-97, ISU Head Coach
Seton Sobolewski transferred to Oklahoma Panhandle State where he played from 1997-99. While there he was slected to Who's Who in America's Colleges and Universities.
BENGAL HONORS
Just 10 games into the season, the ISU women's basketball team is already racking up several honors. Junior forward
Jessa Jeppesen has been named Bengal Athlete of the Week twice (Nov. 8 and Nov. 22) as well as College Sports Madness Big Sky Player of the Week (Nov. 21). Junior guard
Kaela Oakes was named to the Air Force Classic All-Tournament Team (Dec. 3) and has been named College Sports Madness Big Sky Player of the Week (Dec. 5). Junior forward
Ashleigh Vella was named Air Force Classic tournament MVP (Dec. 3). Vella was named Bengal Athlete of the Week on Dec. 6 and Oakes was named Bengal Athlete of the Week on Dec. 12. Oakes' Bengal Athlete of the Week recognition marks the fourth honor for women's basketball this season. Women's basketball has now had a recipient chosen for the third straight week, the longest streak of any sport this year.
BENGALS RANKED IN BIG SKY
As a team, Idaho State leads the conference in defensive rebounds, averaging 27.1 per game. The team is ranked second in the conference in scoring defense (59.1), free throw percentage (.746), field goal percentage defense (.364), three point field goal percentage defense (.270), rebounding defense (37.6) and rebounding margin (+2.2). Individually, sophomore forward
Cydney Horton is tied for fifth in the conference in blocked shots, averaging 1.4 per game. Junior forward
Jessa Jeppesen is sixth in the conference in field goal percentage (.484) while junior guard
Kaela Oakes is ninth in free throw percentage (.744). Junior forward
Ashleigh Vella is seventh in free throw percentage (.761) and 10th in defensive rebounds (4.4). Sophomore guard
Lindsey Reed is tied for eighth in defensive rebounds (4.5) and is second in minutes played, averaging 34.0 minutes per contest.
BENGALS BREAKING THE 100-POINT MARK
Three Idaho State players have broken the 100-point barrier for the season. Sophomore guard
Lindsey Reed leads Idaho State with 122 points, averaging 12.2 points per game. Junior guard
Kaela Oakes has tabbed 112 points this season (11.2 points per game) while junior forward
Ashleigh Vella has 102 points (10.2 points per game).
UPCOMING BASKETBALL PROMOTIONS
Against Oklahoma Panhandle State on Monday, Dec. 19, fans can take $2 off the general admission ticket price by downloading a coupon from Facebook. Fans will receive a $6 general admission ticket for just $4 with a coupon that can be downloaded at
www.facebook.com/idahostateathletics.
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.
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 OKLAHOMA PANDHANDLE STATE
Oklahoma Panhandle State, a member of the Heartland Conference, boasts a 1-9 record this season and is 0-4 on the road. Teenie Kent leads the Aggies in scoring, averaging 11.3 points per game. Nicole Buhl and Shayla Mathis lead OPSU in rebounds, averaging 5.0 per contest. As a team, the Aggies are averaging 90.8 points per game. OPSU, led by head coach Brad Vanden Boogaard, is currently on a two-game losing streak. The team's lone victory came against Barclay College where the Aggies outscored Barclay 122-56. This is the first meeting between OPSU and Idaho State. OPSU plays Central Christian College at home on Friday, Dec. 16.
ABOUT SOUTH DAKOTA
South Dakota, a member of the Summit League, sports a 6-2 record this season and is 2-2 on the road. Amber Hegge leads the Coyotes in scoring (18.9) and rebounds (8.1). Hegge also leads SDU from beyond the arc with a .556 three-point field goal percentage. Jodie Boss leads South Dakota as she averages 3.8 blocks per contest. As a team, the Coyotes are averaging 67.8 points per game. SDU, led by head coach Ryun Williams, is on a one game winning streak and face Utah Valley Monday, Dec. 19 before facing ISU on Wednesday. Notable victories for the Coyotes this season include Creighton (56-53), Northern Arizona (73-56), Oakland (58-51) and Northern Colorado (73-48). This is the first meeting between the two programs.
We Are Your Bengals
