REMATCH! Bengals Play at Eastern Washington Saturday

Idaho State at Eastern Washington
Date: Saturday, February 5, 2011
Tip-off: 3:05 p.m.

Site: Cheney, Wash., Reese Court
TV:  Big Sky TV
Live Stats:  EWU Live Stats
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: Eastern Washington

BENGALS IN ACTION THIS WEEK
After defeating the Eagles 75-69 on Saturday at ICCU Court at Reed Gym, Idaho State (13-7, 4-3 BSC) will play Eastern Washington (8-11, 4-3 BSC) in a rematch exactly one week later at Reese Court on Saturday, Feb. 5 at 3:05 p.m. MT.  The Bengals will look for its second conference sweep as ISU captured its first of the season over Sacramento State on Thursday.  

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.  Fans can follow along through video streaming online at www.bigskytv.com as well as through live stats available on the ISU schedule page through www.isubengals.com.

ISU STANDOUTS
Idaho State is led in scoring by Chelsea Pickering who averages 16.3 ppg for the season and 15.6 points in league contests.  Sophomore Ashleigh Vella averages 57.3 percent from the field in league play while pulling down 4.9 rebounds per game.  Freshman guard Lindsey Reed is leading the Bengals in rebounds with 7.1 per game in Big Sky games.  Sophomore guard Kaela Oakes leads the Bengals from range hitting 43.3 percent in league action.  

BENGALS IN DOUBLE-DOUBLES
Andrea Blodgett, a senior guard, posted her first career double-double, the Bengals' third this season with 12 points and a career-high 10 rebounds.  Idaho State's other two double-doubles both came from sophomore forward Vella.  Vella recorded a team-high 20 points and 11 rebounds against Sacramento State at Reed Gym and posted a career-high 31 point and 11 rebound effort at Utah in ISU's first ever victory over the Utes.

VELLA'S TOP-NOTCH PERFORMANCES LAST WEEK
Sophomore guard Vella led the Bengals in scoring with 20-plus performances in both of ISU's victories over the weekend to improve ISU's home game win streak to 12.  Vella led the Bengals in scoring with 20 points hitting 10-of-15 (66.7 percent) from the field to help Idaho State end a three-game losing streak.  Vella also posted her second double-double of the season, Idaho State's second as well, with a game-high 11 rebounds.  She pulled down six rebounds on offense alone. Against EWU she scored a game-high 27 points off an 11-of-14 effort from the field. The 6-1 forward was 2-of-4 (50 percent) from the arc tying her career-high made three-point effort for the fifth time. She was also 3-of-4 from the line and pulled down one rebound.

BENGALS IN THE BIG SKY
Pickering posts the second best scoring average in the league for all games at 16.3 ppg and is tied for the third best steals per game at 2.2 per contest.  Oakes posts the third best three-point field goal percentage at 45.1 percent in all games.  Oakes hits 82.6 percent from the line for the seventh best free throw percentage in league games.  Forward Vella is a on two-game 20-point scoring streak to lead the league.  Vella's 54.1 field goal percentage is the second best in the league for all games.  Her 15.6 scoring averages ties for the sixth best record in conference games while her 57.3 percent average from the field is fourth in league standings.

HORTON CONTRIBUTES OFF THE BENCH
Freshman forward Cydney Horton is Idaho State's leading contributor off the bench as a forward averaging 5.9 points per game while only seeing 12.6 minutes per game.  She also averages 3.7 rebounds per game.  She posted a career-high 14 points at Sacramento State while pulling down eight rebounds.  

BENGALS IMPROVE REBOUNDING MEASURES
Idaho State has out-rebounded its last two opponents at home: Sacramento State 39-35 (+4) and Eastern Washington 31-30 (+1), a marked improvement since the bengals had been out-rebounded 10-plus in its last three contests.  Idaho State should continue to push its rebounding effort as the Bengals are 6-0 when out-rebounding an opponent this season and 17-4 under Head Coach Seton Sobolewski when out-rebounding an opponent.

FAST BREAKS ON IDAHO STATE...
• Idaho State's sweep over Sacramento State snapped a three-game losing streak and opened up a two-game win streak as well as improved Idaho State's  home game win streak to 12.

• Pickering scored a career-high seven assists and Blodgett posted a career-high 10 rebounds against Eastern Washington.

• Oakes is a clutch free throw shooter leading the Bengals hitting 19-of-20 from the line in the last two minutes.  Oakes missed her first shot at the line in a 1-of-2 effort after being accidentally hit in the stomach by EWU's Tatijana Sparavalo that knocked the wind out of her causing her to miss the first shot.  

• Idaho State leads the Big Sky for all games in field goal percentage at 42.2 percent (69th in the nation), in free throw percentage at 76.6 percent (ninth in the nation) and three-point field goal percentage at 36 percent (27th in the nation).

• ISU is 12-0 when leading with one minute left in games this season.

• Under Head Coach Sobolewski Idaho State has had three players post career-highs of 31 points: Oana Iacovita, Chelsea Pickering (twice) and Ashleigh Vella.

• Idaho State made history when it defeated Montana Tech 84-51 on New Year's day improving ISU to a 9-4 non-conference record.  The win gave Idaho State its best non-conference start in school history.

ABOUT EASTERN WASHINGTON
Eastern Washington is tied with Idaho State for third place in the conference rankings with a 4-3 record: along with Idaho State, Portland State and Montana.  The Eagles were handed a 75-69 loss at ISU's ICCU Court at Reed Gym in their last contest.  The Eagles will host Northern Colorado on Thursday, Feb. 3 at 7:05 p.m. at Reese Court.  

SERIES INFO AND LAST MEETING WITH THE EAGLES
Eastern Washington leads the series 33-30 having captured 13 of the last 15 meetings.  Eastern Washington had three players post double-figures in scoring led by guard Chene Cooper with 18 hitting 7-of-14 from the field and 3-of-6 from the arc.  Brianne Ryan and Tatjana Sparavalo both posted 17 points.  Ryan was 3-of-5 from the arc while Sparavalo was 5-of-10 from the field.  Sparavalo led the Eagles with seven rebounds.  EWU hit 41.8 percent from the field, 56 percent in the second half alone.  However, the Bengals hit 53.8 percent from the field for the game and 44.4 percent from the arc.