Idaho State vs. Weber State
Date: Thursday, March 3
Site: ICCU Court at Reed Gym
Tip-off: 7:05 p.m.
TV: Big Sky TV
Live Stats: 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: Weber State
BENGALS IN ACTION THIS WEEK
Idaho State (16-11, 7-7 BSC) hosts its final two regular season games at home on the ICCU Court at Reed Gym where the Bengals hold a 10-1 record for the season. The Bengals open the week hosting Weber State (7-19, 3-11 BSC) on Thursday, March 3 at 7:05 p.m. Idaho State will honor its seniors on Saturday, March 5 at 2:05 p.m. against Northern Colorado.
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 GAME PROMOTION VS. WEBER STATE
Fans can get into the Idaho State vs. Weber State contest at Reed Gym for just two dollars when they wear a white t-shirt for ISU's “White Out Weber” contest on Thursday, March 3 at 7:05 p.m.
UPCOMING SENIOR DAY
Idaho State honors three seniors on Senior Day, Saturday, March 5 at 2:05 p.m. against Northern Colorado:
Aralee Smith,
Andrea Blodgett and
Kari Green (
Chelsea Pickering will return next season as a fifth year senior).
ARALEE SMITH
Smith competed for ISU from 2006-08 and returned to compete during the 2010-11 season. Smith has played in 30 contest for the Bengals averaging 45.5 percent from the field and 31.6 percent from the arc. She is 71.9 percent from the line and averages 1.3 assists per game.
ANDREA BLODGETT
Blodgett has played in 46 games starting in 23 over her two seasons with the Bengals. She has averaged 33 percent from the field and 29.9 percent from the arc. She is 64 percent from the line and has pulled down 120 rebounds over her career. Blodgett has also recorded 56 assists, 46 steals and four blocked shots.
KARI GREEN
Green joined the Bengals as a walk-on and earned her way into a scholarship. She has played in 31 games for the Bengals. Green has averaged 33.3 percent from the field and 50 percent from the line. She averages just under one rebound a game and one assist per game. The 5-3 wonder has also posted three steals and one blocked shot.
THE ROAD TO THE TOURNAMENT
Idaho State makes its eighth straight Big Sky Conference tournament appearance this season, a school record, and third straight under the current coaching staff on March 10. NAU's 62-56 loss to Northern Colorado clinched ISU's postseason berth. The Bengals' farthest advancement under Sobolewski in the Big Sky tournament was the semifinals during the 2008-09 season, his first year coaching at ISU.
FAST BREAKS ON IDAHO STATE...
• The Northern Colorado women's basketball team clinched at least a share of the Big Sky regular season title when they overcame the Bengals 73-49 on Monday. The Bears shot a school Division I record 58.7 percent from the floor while holding Idaho State to its lowest field goal percentage of the season at 27.8.
• In Oakes' last six contests she has hit 24-of-28 from the line (85.7 percent).
• Idaho State has been in the double-figures for turnovers all season except its nine against Montana State at home overcoming the Big Sky leader 74-65 at the ICCU Court at Reed Gym.
• The Bengals have struggled on the road posting a 5-10 record, however ISU has its worst two shooting performances in its last two road games of the regular season. ISU shot 29.6 percent at Weber State and a season-low 27.8 percent at Northern Colorado for a combined 28.8 percent accuracy in the last two contests. When ISU was shooting around 40 percent from the field they were being out-rebounded by 10 but when ISU is shooting around 28 percent they are within one to two rebounds of their opponents.
• ISU bounces back from poor three-point shooting. When the Bengals hit 2-of-18 at Boise State ISU bounced back with an 8-of-16 (50 percent) effort against Air Force at home. When the Bengals were 2-of-19 against Utah Valley they followed it up with a 53.3 percent effort (8-of-15) at Utah. Yet another example, ISU was 4-of-21 against Northern Arizona then 11-of-21 at Sacramento State.
• Pickering is nearing several top-ten single season records at Idaho State. She is 15 points away from tying the tenth best single season points record at 449 held by Oana Iacovita. She is two steals away from tying the tenth best single season steals record at 57 held by Shelley Hand and six three-point field goals away from the tenth best single season trey record at 49 with Shannon Copple.
• Idaho State leads the Big Sky for all games in free throw percentage at 76.7 percent, 10th best in the nation.
•
Lindsey Reed recorded her second double-figure rebound contest exactly one month apart. Reed recorded 10 rebounds at Montana State on Jan. 24 and 10 rebounds at Weber State on Feb. 24. Reed recorded her first career double-double at Weber State when she scored 13 points. Reed also posted a season-high two blocks at Weber State.
•
Ashleigh Vella set the Idaho State single game record for field goal percentage at Northern Colorado when she hit 7-of-7 from the line. ISU has had four contests where Bengals have hit 6-of-6 effort from the line with Oakes owning three of those records including back-to-back performances against Montana State and Montana at Reed Gym.
• Idaho State has hit 40 percent or better from the field 14 times, 40 percent or better from three-point range 13 times and 90 percent or better from the line. Idaho State has had 10 games this season where they have hit 40 percent or better from both the field and from the arc.
• Head Coach Sobolewski became a father on Sunday, Feb. 6 when his first child, daughter, Aubrey Kate Sobolewski was born at the Portneuf Medical Center. She was born on Superbowl Sunday.
BENGAL STATS AT HOME
Idaho State holds a 10-1 record at home and is 5-1 in home conference games. The Bengals averaged 43.7 percent from the field while holding opponents to 36.7 percent. From range ISU is edged out by its opponents 35.3 to 32.3 percent. At home Idaho State averages 80.4 percent. The Bengals average 71.1 points at home while holding opponents to 58.4 points. In home conference games the Bengals average 43.4 percent from the field, 28.2 percent from the arc and 79.6 percent from the line. ISU averages 66.8 points at home in Big Sky Games and has forced 98 turnovers by its opponents.
OAKES IS CLUTCH FREE THROW SHOOTER
Oakes is a clutch free throw shooter leading the Bengals hitting 25-of-26 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. She averages 80.9 percent from the line for the season.
SECOND BEST HOME ATTENDANCE RECORD AGAINST MONTANA
Idaho State set the second highest home attendance record since 2003 at Reed Gym with 1,818 fans. Unfortunately, Montana handed Idaho State its first loss at home for the season, in a back and forth battle 63-60, dropping ISU's home record to 10-1 and ending the second longest home win streak in school history at 14. Idaho State has averaged 1080 fans per game at Reed Gym this season. Under Sobolewski Idaho State has posted a 24-11 (.686) record at Reed Gym. The longest home win streak was 17 games from the end of the 1999-00 season to the start of the 2001-02 season.
PICKERING AND OAKES EARN FIRST ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA
Senior guard
Chelsea Pickering and sophomore guard
Kaela Oakes are the first women's basketball players at Idaho State to earn Academic All-America awards for their outstanding achievements on the floor and in the classroom. Pickering and Oakes were both named to Capital One Academic All-America All-District VIII Second Team. Pickering holds a 3.66 GPA while double majoring in Health Care Administration and MBA. Oakes holds a 3.85 GPA while majoring in nursing.
WIN TOTAL EXCEEDS LAST SEASON'S
Idaho State improved to 16 wins for the season tying for the fifth most victories for a Head Coach at Idaho State. If Idaho State wins its last five games of the regular season the Bengals have the opportunity to earn 21 wins for the second most in a single season at Idaho State. ISU's record is held by Ardie McInelly with 25 wins during the 2000-01 season.
BENGALS WITH DOUBLE-DOUBLES
Idaho State has had three players post double-doubles:
Ashleigh Vella (31 points, 11 rebounds at Utah and 20 points and 11 rebounds against Sacramento State), Blodgett (12 points, 10 rebounds against Eastern Washington) and Reed (13 points, 10 rebounds at Weber State).
ABOUT WEBER STATE
Weber State is on a two-game win streak sparked by its 66-61 overtime victory over Idaho State at home which snapped an eight-game losing streak. Weber State comes off an 81-68 victory over Sacramento State with Megan Patterson leading the Wildcats with 21 points. Patterson sank four three-pointers and was 7-of-8 from the line. Weber State's only other conference win of the season was a 65-52 victory over Portland State. All of Weber State's conference victories were at home.
SERIES INFO AND LAST MEETING WITH THE WILDCATS
Weber State leads the series 42-28 with Idaho State having won seven of the last ten meetings. Weber State overcame the Bengals 66-61 in overtime when ISU had a dismal shooting night of 29.6 percent. The loss also gave ISU its first overtime loss of the season. Senior guard Pickering scored a game-high 16 points hitting 5-of-19 from the field. She also recorded a game-high five steals and pulled down five rebounds. Both
Kaela Oakes and
Lindsey Reed scored 13 points but Reed recorded her first career double-double with 10 rebounds. Weber State had three players post a team-best 14 points with Caitlin Anderson recording a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
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