GAME NOTES | LIVE STATS | AUDIO | TICKETS | VIDEO
BENGALS IN ACTION THIS WEEK
Idaho State (16-6, 8-1 BSC) begins a three-game home stand this week. Conference-leading ISU will be put to the test as the Bengals host Montana State Thursday, Feb. 2 and Montana on Monday, Feb. 6. Both games begin at 7p.m. and will be held in Reed Gym. 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.isubengals.com. Video is available at www.b2livetv.com.
MONTANA AND MONTANA STATE TICKET PACKS
The Montana and Montana State games will definitely be must-see events. Luckily, Idaho State is offering a promotion for these two contests. For $10, fans will receive tickets to both games. Call 208-282-FANS for more details and to purchase your tickets.
LAST WEEK IN BENGAL BASKETBALL
Idaho State (16-6, 8-1 BSC) extended its winning streak to nine as the Bengals defeated Northern Colorado and Weber State on the road last week. ISU defeated the Bears 64-50 on Thursday. Sophomore guard
Lindsey Reed flirted with a double-double as she led the Bengals with 15 points and pulled down nine rebounds. Reed also recorded three assists and two steals. ISU also defeated Weber State 54-52 in a nail-biter on Saturday. Senior
Chelsea Pickering led ISU with 12 points and tied the score late in the game. Reed then capitalized on a Wildcat turnover and scored the game-winning layup.
BENGALS RANKED ON MID-MAJOR TOP 25
The Bengals moved into the top 25 on The CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll. The Bengals are currently ranked No. 25 with 90 points. The Mid-Major Poll is made up of teams from the following conferences: America East, Atlantic Sun, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, Colonial, Great West, Horizon, Independents, Ivy, Metro Atlantic, Mid-American, Mid-Eastern, Missouri Valley, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot, Southern, Southland, Southwestern, Summit, Sun Belt, West Coast.
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 200 points in 16 games this season, averaging 12.5 points per game. Over her career, Pickering has appeared in 88 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 1,088 points, Pickering is now the ninth highest scorer in program history.
SOLID OAKES
In Big Sky action, junior
Kaela Oakes is sixth in 3-point field goal percentage, as she is shooting .390 from beyond the arc. Oakes is also eighth in free throw percentage (.794), tied for eighth in three-point field goals made (1.8) and ninth in scoring (13.4). Not only is Oakes scoring well herself, she is also helping her teammates to produce numbers as she is sixth in conference play in assists, averaging 3.4 per game and is third in assist to turnover ratio (1.6).
PICKERING PICKING IT UP IN CONFERENCE PLAY
In the past few weeks, it seems as though whenever ISU has needed a basket, senior guard
Chelsea Pickering has stepped up and knocked it down. Against Northern Colorado on Jan. 26, Pickering scored 14 points, with 12 coming from three-point shots. Whenever the Bears got into striking range, Pickering widened the gap with a shot from the trey. In conference play, Pickering is fifth in three-point field goals made, averaging 2.1 per game. She is also ninth with a .352 three-point field goal shooting percentage and 10th in scoring, averaging 13.3 points per game.
BENGALS RANKED IN BIG SKY
In conference games, ISU leads the Big Sky in scoring defense (56.2) and defensive rebound percentage (.732). Junior forward
Ashleigh Vella is ninth in free throw percentage (.793) and is tied for sixth in offensive rebounds, averaging 2.8 per game. Sophomore forward
Cydney Horton is ninth in total rebounds (7.7) and eighth in defensive rebounds (5.4).
OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT
The Bengals started the 2011-12 conference season at 8-0 before Montana State broke the Bengals' nine-game winning streak on Feb. 2 when the Bobcats handed ISU its first conference loss of the season in a 79-67 overtime decision. Idaho State has not started conference at 8-0 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.
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, Montana and Montana State, Sobolewski is 4-12. Sobolewski is 3-4 against Montana State and is 1-8 against the Griz. At Reed Gym, Sobolewski is 1-2 against the Bobcats and 0-3 versus Montana. Sobolewski's career record at ISU is now 60-52 while he is 34-22 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 MONTANA STATE
The Bobcats are third in the Big Sky with a 6-3 conference record and a 14-7 overall record. MSU is averaging 69.4 points per game and is 59th in the nation in scoring offense. Montana State is led in scoring by Katie Bussey who is averaging 16.2 points per game. Bussey is averaging 15.2 points per contest in Big Sky action, the third best mark in the league. Rachel Semansky leads th rebound effort for the Bobcats averaging 8.9 rebound for all games and 10.1 in conference play, the fourth best in the Big Sky. In conference action, MSU is shooting 40.2 percent from the field. The team is leading the Big Sky in three point field goal percentage defense (.268) and defensive rebounds (31.1).
LAST MEETING AND SERIES HISTORY WITH THE BOBCATS
Montana State leads the series between the two progarms 40-27. The Bengals are 17-13 at home against MSU. Idaho State won a 59-58 decision in the last meeting in Bozeman, completing the first half of their eventual sweep of Montana State and Montana. Idaho State came back from a 16-point deficit to defeat the Bobcats in Worthington Arena. Junior guard
Kaela Oakes led Idaho State with 18 points. Oakes knocked down four shots from beyond the arc and went 6-15 from the field. Oakes also posted two rebounds, four assists and three steals.
ABOUT MONTANA
Montana is fourth in the conference with a 6-3 record and a 13-9 overall record. Montana is averaging 62 points per game. The Griz is led by Katie Baker who is averaging 14.1 points and 8.4 rebounds per game in league play. Baker's scoring average is the seventh best in the conference while her rebound average is fifth. In conference action, the Griz is averaging 63 points per game and shooting 38.5 percent from the field.
LAST MEETING AND SERIES HISTORY WITH THE GRIZ
Montana leads the series between the two programs 62-7. The Bengals are 5-26 at home against the Griz. Idaho State completed a sweep of Montana and Montana State with a 58-51 victory over the Griz in the last meeting between the two schools. It was just the second time ISU had swept the two schools in program history and the first time since 2000-01. Junior guard
Kaela Oakes led the Bengals with 18 points, two rebounds, four assists and one steal. The victory snapped a nine-game losing skid to the Griz and senior guard
Chelsea Pickering scored her 1,000th career point.
We Are Your Bengals
