Idaho State vs. Montana
Date: Thursday, March 10
Site: Portland, Ore., Peter W. Stott Center
Tip-off: 8:05 p.m. MT
TV: Big Sky TV
Live Stats: Live Stats
Radio: The Bengal Radio Network, KISU 91.1 FM, Pocatello. (Play by play:
Mark Liptak). Carried throughout Southern Idaho and on the Internet at www.isubengals.com.
Game Notes: Big Sky Tournament Quarterfinals
BENGALS IN ACTION THIS WEEK
Idaho State (18-11, 9-7 BSC) makes its record eighth straight Big Sky Conference Tournament appearance when the Bengals play Montana (15-14, 10-6 BSC) in Portland, Ore. at the Peter W. Stott Center on Thursday, March 10 at 8:05 p.m. MT in the second round of the quarterfinals.
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 with color commentary from Cody Van Fleet. Fans can follow along through video streaming online at www.bigskytv.com as well as through live stats at www.goviks.com.
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. 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.
ISU'S FINISH AT BIG SKY TOURNAMENTS UNDER SOBOLEWSKI
In the 2009 tournament, the Bengals defeated Sacramento State in overtime 78-76 on a buzzer beating jump shot with .6 seconds left from forward Oana Iacovita. The Bengals faced Montana in the semifinals where they held an 11-point lead at the break and held a two-point lead with 4:55 remaining to the top-seeded Griz before falling 70-56. At the 2010 tournament Idaho State was overcome 75-61 to Portland State at Eastern Washington. Under Sobolewski, Idaho State has only been overcome by an eventual Big Sky Tournament Champion: Montana in 2009 and Portland State in 2010. ISU's only overtime tournament contest was against Sacramento State in 2009.
REACHING FOR THE SKY
Idaho State has only won two Big Sky Conference Tournaments in 2001 and 2007, but ISU will be making its lucky 13th Big Sky Tournament appearance this season. Idaho State defeated Montana 68-59 at ISU in 2001 for the championship and Northern Arizona 84-78 at Montana in 2007. The Bengals have made three quarterfinal appearances (1998, 2008, 2010), six semifinal appearances (1991, 1997, 2000, 2005, 2006, 2009) and just one finals appearance without capturing the title (2004).
BIG SKY TOURNAMENT EXPERIENCE
Five players of Idaho State's current roster have experience in a Big Sky Tournament game.
Kari Green has the most experience playing in two contests both during the 2009 tournament when ISU made it to the semifinals.
Kaela Oakes,
Chelsea Pickering,
Ashleigh Vella and
Andrea Blodgett all have one Big Sky tournament contest under their belts coming against Portland State in the 2010 tournament. All together the five players have averaged 13.3 minutes and averaged 2.7 points. Pickering leads the five players having scored 10 points against the Vikings in 2010, while Vella is the only other experience Big Sky tournament player to score with six points. One could look at this as inexperienced players entering the Big Sky or one could examine the players as having made immense progress in just one season. These young players have come a long way since their first season and hardly resemble the players they once were. Especially the sophomores (Oakes and Vella) who did not score a single point in their first Big Sky tournament game and now average 13.5 points (Oakes) and 12.1 points (Vella) in league play.
SENIOR DAY STATS
Idaho State is 24-13 on senior day having captured its first senior day victory over Northern Colorado 69-61 at the ICCU Court at Reed Gym this season where ISU celebrated senior day for
Aralee Smith,
Kari Green and
Andrea Blodgett who all started (first career starts for Smith and Green). The Bengals are on a two-game senior day win streak. The final basket of the game was fitting as senior guard
Kari Green scored on a fast break layup with 22 seconds left in the contest against Northern Colorado. She was the only senior to score during the game.
FRESHMAN LIGHTS UP ON SENIOR DAY
Freshman guard
Lindsey Reed scored a career-high 29 points against Northern Colorado on senior day. Her previous career-high was 21 points against Loyola Marymount in ISU's first game of the season. She could have scored 30 points (her jersey number) had a teammate not jumped out early from the line during a free throw thus disqualifying the basket. Reed set the school record for the best field goal percentage in a half with a 7-of-7 effort in the first half. In fact, Reed was perfect in the first half as she as 3-of-3 from the arc and 2-of-2 from the line as well. She scored 19 of her 29 points in the first half. Reed ended the night at 8-of-9 from the field missing on a flat footed jump shot thrown to her during a fast break attempt.
FOUR PLAYERS AVERAGING DOUBLE-FIGURES IN BIG SKY GAMES
Idaho State has four players in double-figure scoring in league contests with Pickering at 14.6 ppg, Oakes at 13.5 ppg, Vella at 12.1 ppg, and Reed at 10.3 ppg. The last time ISU had four players in double-figure scoring in league contests under Sobolewski was his first season when Pickering, Jenna Brown, Michelle Grohs and Oana Iacovita all were in double-figures. Last season the Bengals had three players averaging double-figures in Big Sky games.
BENGAL WIN RECORD THIRD BEST
With ISU's win over Northern Colorado the Bengals improved to 18-11 for the season. The 18 wins sets the third most wins in a single season under a head coach at Idaho State. Jon Newlee had two back-to-back 17-win seasons during the 2005-06 season and 2006-07 season. Ardie McInelly holds the top ranking at 25 (2000-01). Newlee also holds the second best record at 20 (2003-04).
BENGALS OUT DUE THEMSELVES AT THE LINE
Idaho State had four contests where Bengals have hit 6-of-6 from the line with Oakes owning three of those records.
Ashleigh Vella one-uped Oakes by hitting 7-of-7 from the line at Northern Colorado. Oakes reclaimed the single game Bengal season record with 8-of-8 at the line against Weber State at Reed Gym.
LEADING THE LEAGUE FROM THE FREE THROW LINE
Idaho State leads the league with 77.5 percent for the season which is the 6th best mark in the nation. Idaho State's top ranking at the line was fifth best in the nation. Bowling Green holds the top ranking at 80 percent currently but the mark doesn't even come close to ISU's NCAA record setting 83.2 percent during the 2007-08 season that not only led women's Division I, but was the NCAA's all-time record, regardless of Division, and regardless of gender.
FAST BREAKS ON IDAHO STATE...
• Idaho State knocked down 5-of-7 three-pointers against Northern Colorado at Reed Gym at 71.4 percent, ISU's best mark of the season and best mark under Sobolewski. However, the most three-pointers made under Sobolewski was 11 twice this season against Montana Tech and at Sacramento State.
• Idaho State has won by a double-figure margin of victory nine times this season, most recently overcoming Weber State at home by 20 points. ISU's 98-50 (+49) victory over Great Falls was not only the sixth greatest margin of victory in school history it also marked the most points scored under Sobolewski at ISU.
• In Oakes' last seven contests she has hit 34-of-38 from the line (89.5 percent). Oakes is on a 12 made field goal streak going 2-of-2 at Northern Colorado, 8-of-8 against Weber State at home and 2-of-2 against Northern Colorado at home.
• Idaho State forced 23 turnovers and held itself to a season-low six in ISU's 71-51 victory over Weber State at Reed Gym to improve to 11-1 at home. Pickering had a game-high five steals followed by Reed with four.
• ISU's 69-61 victory over Northern Colorado took away UNC's opportunity to win the Big Sky regular season title and gave ISU a 12-1 home record coming close to Idaho State's perfect 15-0 home record set in the 2000-01 season.
• Over his three years at Idaho State Sobolewski has captured 44 wins, the fifth best win total for a head coach in school history. This 18 win season puts him at the third best single season record for a coach in ISU history.
•
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.
• Idaho State has hit 40 percent or better from the field 16 times, 40 percent or better from three-point range 14 times and 85 percent or better from the line 10 times. 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.
PICKERING, OAKES AND VELLA EARN ALL-CONFERENCE HONORS
Three Bengals earned their first all-conference honors. Pickering was named Big Sky First Team All-Conference while sophomore guard
Kaela Oakes and sophomore forward
Ashleigh Vella earned honorable mention honors. Under Head Coach
Seton Sobolewski at least one player has been nominated to first team all-conference each year. Counting this season Sobolewski has helped three players earn first team honors including a unanimous selection last season with Oana Iacovita. One player has earned second team honors while three have earned honorable mention. This is the first season where three players have earned honors under Sobolewski.
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.
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).
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.
ABOUT MONTANA
Montana is 15-4 for the season and 10-6 in league play giving the Griz a fourth place seed into the Big Sky Tournament. Montana ended the regular season with a 66-60 victory at Eastern Washington snapping a three-game losing streak. Prior to Montana's three-game losing streak the Griz held a six-game winning streak capped by a 66-60 win at Idaho State. In league play, Montana is averaging 39.5 percent from the field and 36.3 percent from the arc.
Montana is led in scoring by Katie Baker who is averaging 12.8 points per game in Big Sky contests. Montana lost freshman Torry Hill last week for the rest of the season due to a broken ankle sustained in practice. Hill put up a team-best 16 points hitting 4-of-6 from the arc in ISU's loss to Montana at Reed Gym.
Montana leads the series 61-6 having captured the last eight meetings. The last time ISU defeated Montana was a 90-77 home contest during the 2007-08 season.
ISU'S RECORD VS. MONTANA AT BIG SKY TOURNAMENTS
It is ISU's first meeting with Montana in the quarterfinals of the Big Sky tournament. The only time ISU has overcome the Griz in a Big Sky tournament contest was on March 10, 2001 when ISU won the title 68-59 at Reed Gym. ISU is 1-4 against Montana at the Big Sky tournament.
LAST MEETING WITH MONTANA
In a battle of two of the top teams in the Big Sky Conference, the Idaho State women's basketball team lost a tough 63-60 contest at Reed Gym in front of a crowd of 1,818 on Saturday evening, marking the second biggest crowd for women's basketball at Reed Gym in school history.
There were six ties and 18 lead changes in the game where Idaho State's 14-game home winning streak was snapped. Idaho State shot 44 percent from the field while Montana shot 53.8 percent.
Ashleigh Vella led the Bengals in scoring with 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting.
Chelsea Pickering had 13 points and six rebounds while
Lindsey Reed scored 10. Each team had 25 rebounds and Montana turned the ball over 19 times.
Two free throws by
Kaela Oakes with 1:39 to play in the game gave ISU a 58-57 lead. Torry Hill then hit a 3-pointer with 1:15 left to put Montana back on top at 60-58. The Bengals tied the game at 60 on a jumper by Vella with just under a minute to play but free throws by Kenzie De Boer and Stephanie Stender each hit free throws to earn the victory.
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