AUDIO | VIDEO | GAME NOTES | NORTHERN COLORADO LIVE STATS | WEBER STATE LIVE STATS
BENGALS IN ACTION THIS WEEK
Idaho State (15-5, 7-0 BSC) continues its road trip as the Bengals take on Northern Colorado in Greeley on Thursday, Jan. 26 in the Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion. The game will tipoff at 7 p.m. ISU then travels to Ogden, Utah to face Weber State Saturday, Jan. 28 in the Dee Events Center. The game begins at 2 p.m. Fans can listen in to the game by tuning into 91.1 FM KISU or clicking on the audio streaming link at www.isubengals.com. Live stats are availabe at www.uncbears.com and www.weberstatesports.com. Video is available at www.b2livetv.com.
LAST WEEK IN BENGAL BASKETBALL
Idaho State (15-5, 7-0 BSC) remained undefeated in Big Sky action as the team defeated Northern Arizona on the road on Saturday. The Bengals won their seventh straight game against the Lumberjacks. Junior guard
Kaela Oakes recorded her seventh straight double-digit scoring contest as she led the Bengals with 12 points. Oakes also recorded one rebound, four assists and one steal for ISU in 38 minutes of play. Defensively, Idaho State held the Lumberjacks to a 31.6 percent shooting percentage and forced 19 turnovers.
PICKERING HITS 1,000 CAREER POINT MARK
With 10:33 remaining in the first half against Montana on Jan. 7, Pickering hit a jumper to break the 1,000-point barrier in her career. Pickering finished the contest with 12 points for a total of 1,007 points. Pickering has scored 173 points in 14 games this season, averaging 12.3 points per game. Over her career, Pickering has appeared in 86 total contests and averages 12.3 points per game. During the 2010-11 season, Pickering scored a career-high 487 points during the season, the seventh most points scored in a single season in program history. With a current total of 1,061 points, Pickering is now the ninth highest scorer in program history.
SOLID OAKES
Junior
Kaela Oakes is tied for eighth in the conference in scoring in conference games as she averages 13.4 points per game. Oakes had seven straight games of double-digit scoring this season. In conference play, Oakes is tied for third in free throw percentage, shooting an outstanding .885 from the line and is also second in three-point field goal percentage as she is shooting .433. Oakes is also eighth in conference play in three-point field goals made, averaging 1.9 per game. Not only is Oakes scoring well herself, she is also helping her teammates to produce numbers as she is tied for fifth in conference play in assists, averaging 3.4 per game and is third in assist to turnover ratio (1.8).
BENGALS RANKED IN BIG SKY
In conference games, ISU leads the Big Sky in scoring defense (53.6), scoring margin (+9.7), field goal percentage defense (.340), three-point field goal percentage (.378), rebound margin (+6.0) and defensive rebound percentage (.727). Junior forward
Ashleigh Vella is ranked seventh in free throw percentage (.769) for all games while sophomore forward
Cydney Horton is tied for fourth in blocks (1.3). Sophomore guard
Lindsey Reed is eighth in defensive rebounds (4.9). In conference game, senior guard
Chelsea Pickering is fifth in three-point field goal percentage (.400) and fifth in three-point field goals made (2.3).
OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT
The Bengals are starting the 2011-12 conference season at 7-0 after defeating Northern Colorado twice, Montana State, Montana, Sacramento State, Portland State and Northern Arizona. This is the first time Idaho State has started conference at 7-0 since the 2000-01 season. That same season Idaho State went 25-5 overall and 16-0 in Big Sky play. The Bengals defeated Montana 68-59 in the final round of the conference tournament for the Big Sky Championship.
ON A STREAK...
The Bengals are on a eight-game winning streak, the longest winning streak so far this season. This is the longest streak for ISU since November of the 2010-11 season when the Bengals went on an eight-game winning streak beginning with a 62-55 victory over High Point on November 27 and going through a 76-51 win over Sacramento State on January 15. Portland State broke the streak by defeating the Bengals 89-79 in Portland. The longest winning streak in program history is 21 games set in the 2000-01 season. If the Bengals defeat Weber State Saturday and improve to a nine-game winning steak, it will be the longest consecutive winning streak since the 2000-01 season as well.
SOBOLEWSKI HITS CAREER MILESTONE
With the win against Montana on Jan. 7, ISU Head Coach
Seton Sobolewski has now defeated every team in the Big Sky Conference over the course of his four-season career at ISU. Against ISU's upcoming competitors, Northern Colorado and Weber State, Sobolewski is 9-4. Sobolewski is 6-1 against Northern Colorado and is 2-1 at the Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion. Sobolewski is 3-3 against the Wildcats and 1-2 at the Dee Events Center. Sobolewski's career record at ISU is now 59-52 while he is 33-22 in Big Sky action.
OAKES EARNS CO-BIG SKY PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Junior
Kaela Oakes was named co-Big Sky Player of the Week for her performances against Montana State and Montana. Against Montana State, Oakes led ISU with 18 points. Oakes knocked down four shots from beyond the arc and went 6-15 from the field. Oakes also posted two rebound, four assists and threee steals. Oakes also hit a pair of pressure free throws late in the second half to help secure ISU's 59-58 victory. Against Montana, Oakes showed consistency in her play as she once again led the Bengals with 18 points. She also recorded two rebounds, four assists and one steal.
Oakes was also named Bengal Athlete of the Week for her performances against the Bobcats and the Griz. So far this season, Oakes has also been named to the Air Force Classic All-Tournament Team and named College Sports Madness Big Sky Player of the Week. Oakes was also named Bengal Athlete of the Week on Dec. 12.
BENGAL 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 forward
Ashleigh Vella was named Air Force Classic tournament MVP (Dec. 3) and was named Bengal Athlete of the Week on Dec. 6.
ABOUT NORTHERN COLORADO
Northern Colorado is 12-8 overall this season and 4-3 in conference play. The Bears are currently fifth in the Big Sky and are 8-2 at home this season. NC is leading the conference in three-point field goal percentage defense (.260), rebound defense (33.7), rebound margin (+7.9) and defensive rebound percentage (.730). The Bears are second in scoring defense (56.4), free throw percentage (.739), field goal percentage (.414), field goal percentage defense (.344) and defensive rebounds (30.9). D'Shara Strange leads the Big Sky in defensive rebounds (10.0) and is second in rebounds (11.4). Strange is fifth in scoring (14.6) and sixth in steals (2.6). Strange has recorded six double-doubles this season and is 68th in the country in rebounds (8.9) and 56th in steals (2.7). Lauren Oosdyke is third in the conference in field goal percentage (.500) and seventh in scoring (14.1). Kaisha Brown leads the Big Sky in conference play in free-throw percentage hitting 14-of-14 for a 1.000 percentage. Brown is also fourth in three-point field goal percentage (.400) and fourth in three-point field goals made (2.3). The Bears are on a one-game losing streak after falling 52-51 to Montana State.
LAST MEETING AND SERIES HISTORY WITH THE BEARS
Idaho State leads the series between the two schools 12-1. The Bengals are 5-1 on the road against the Bears. In the last meeting between the two schools, Idaho State fought their way to a 57-52 win over Northern Colorado in the first conference game of the season, the Bengals had three players in double figures with junior
Ashleigh Vella leading the way. Vella flirted with a double-double, recording 17 points and nine rebounds. Kaisha Brown led the Bears with 17 points. The Bengals held NC's lead scorer, D'Shara Strange, to just eight points.
ABOUT WEBER STATE
Weber State is 2-18 and 0-7 in Big Sky play. The Wildcats are currently on a 10-game losing streak and are 2-6 at home this season. Amanda Hughes is fourth in the Big Sky in conference play in rebounds (11.1). Hughes is third in defensive rebounds (7.6) and offensive rebounds (3.3). Justine Johnson is second the league in assist to turnover ration (2.1) and is third in both assists (4.4) and steals (3.2). Johnson is 54th in the country in steals per game, averaging 2.7.
LAST MEETING AND SERIES HISTORY WITH THE WILDCATS
Weber State leads the series between the two programs 42-29. The Bengals are 12-23 when playing at Weber State. When the two teams met last, in March of 2011, the Bengal defense forced 23 turnovers that resulted in 34 points and on the offensive end turned the ball over a season low six times while coming up with 13 steals and seven block shots. The Bengal offense shot 45.8 percent from the floor while the Wildcats shot 40 percent.
Kaela Oakes was one of three ISU players in double figures with 18 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field. She was a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line to go along with her three assists and no turnovers. Megan Patterson led the Wildcats with 16 points while Jordan Pfau led the rebound effort with eight.
We Are Your Bengals
