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BENGALS IN ACTION THIS WEEK
Idaho State (5-3) women's basketball opens conference action this week against Portland State and Eastern Washington. The Bengals take on the Vikings Thursday, Dec. 20 at 7 p.m. and the Eagles Saturday, Dec. 22 at 2 p.m. Both contests will be played in Reed Gym.
LAST WEEK IN BENGAL BASKETBALL
Last Saturday, Idaho State won its second straight contest with a 70-38 victory over NAIA member Carroll College. Senior guard
Kaela Oakes led ISU with 16 points, three assists, two steals and a rebound. Senior guard
Abyee Maracigan pitched in with 12 points while senior forward
Ashleigh Vella had 11. ISU shot 48 percent from the field and an outstanding 45.5 percent from 3-point range. The Bengals out-rebounded Carroll College 37-19.
ABOUT THE BENGALS
Idaho State is 5-3 on the season. The three losses have come at the hand of No. 19 Nebraska, No. 25 Kansas and Kansas State. Junior guard
Lindsey Reed leads ISU with 12.3 points per game. Forwards
Cydney Horton and
Ashleigh Vella are close to averaging double-doubles as Horton averages 10.8 points and 7.0 rebounds per game while Vella averages 10.9 points and 7.9 rebounds.
The Bengals are shooting 37.1 percent from the field and 31.9 percent from 3-point range. ISU is averaging 62.0 points per game and allowing just 53.8 points from opponents.
ISU is leading the conference in scoring defense (53.8) and field goal percentage defense (.344).
Ashleigh Vella is tied for first in 3-point field goal percentage as she has gone 8-16 (.500) this season.
The Bengals are ranked 46th nationally in scoring defense (53.8), 47th in field goal percentage defense (34.4), 51st in blocks per game (4.9), 76th in turnover margin (2.75), 86th in scoring margin (8.3), 89th in turnovers (16.3) and 94th in rebound margin (3.8). Junior forward
Cydney Horton is 65th individually in blocks per game (1.88).
MULTIMEDIA INFORMATION
Fans can listen to game action at 91.1 KISU or online via web-streaming audio at
www.isubengals.com with play-by-play action provided by
Mark Liptak. Live stats for the contest are available at
www.isubengals.com. Score updates will also be available through ISU's social media outlets at Facebook and Twitter as well as in text message alerts. Both contests are available to view online via Big Sky TV.
THE MID-MAJOR TOP 25 POLL
ISU has dropped out of the College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 again and is just two points shy of being ranked as the team is still receiving the most votes of non-ranked schools. No. 25 Saint Mary's (West Coast Conference) has 67 votes while ISU has 65. ISU's highest rating of the season was No. 21. Fellow Big Sky schools Portland State and Montana State are receiving votes. 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.
VELLA HITS 1,000TH POINT
Idaho State senior forward
Ashleigh Vella became the 15th player in ISU history to score 1,000 career points as she met the mark in ISU's 64-55 win over rival Boise State. Throughout her career, Vella has recorded 1,044 points, 609 total rebounds and has the seventh most made free throws in program history with 264. She played her 100th game as a Bengal against Carroll College on Dec. 14. She is the 12th player in program history to record 1,000 point and 500 rebounds in her career at ISU.
SEASON DOUBLE-DOUBLES
Junior forward
Cydney Horton recorded her second straight double-double of the 2012-13 season and the fifth of her career against Boise State. Against the Broncos, Horton tied her career best of 19 points and pulled down a personal best 13 rebounds. Against Air Force she posted a career-high 19 points and 10 rebounds. Horton recorded three double-doubles during the 2011-12 season. With five career double-doubles, Horton has the second most career double-doubles for current players behind senior forward
Ashleigh Vella who has seven. Senior
Jessa Jeppesen has one that she recorded last season and junior guard
Lindsey Reed has one she recorded during the 2010-11 season.
BENGAL BASKETBALL PROMOTIONS
Idaho State will be giving away free T-shirts to the first 1,500 fans at Thursday's game against Portland State. The shirts are provided by Idaho Central Credit Union and fans that wear the T-shirt to Saturday's contest against Eastern Washington can purchase a ticket for just $2.
BENGALS TOP PRESEASON POLLS
The Idaho State women's basketball team has been selected to defend its Big Sky Conference title in both the coaches and media polls. The Bengals finished with 97 points and eight first-place votes in the coaches poll while the team earned 154 total points with eight first-place votes in the media poll.
ABOUT PORTLAND STATE
Portland State is 5-3 on the season and 1-1 on the road under sixth-year head coach Sherri Murrell. The squad is on a two-game losing streak after dropping contests against Gonzaga and Seattle. The Vikings are leading the Big Sky in 3-point field goal percentage defense (.240) and defensive rebounds (28.9). Courtney VanBrocklin leads PSU with 14.5 points per game. She is tied for first in the conference with Vella for 3-point field goal percentage and is 58th nationally in field goal percentage (51.3) as well as 74th in free throw percentage. Angela Misa is PSU's top rebounder, averaging 11.0 per game, the second best in the Big Sky. She leads the conference in defensive rebounds (8.1) and is 21st in the nation in rebounding. Kate Lanz leads the Big Sky in free throw percentage (.909) and is 18th in the nation. The Vikings are 32nd nationally in 3-point field goal percentage defense (24.0) and 62nd in field goal percentage defense. Portland State finished the 2011-12 season 15-14 overall and 7-9 in conference action, missing the Big Sky Tournament for the first time in six years.
SERIES INFO AND LAST MEETING WITH THE VIKINGS
Idaho State leads the series 24-20 and is 15-6 against the Vikings in Pocatello. ISU has won three straight against Portland State and defeated PSU 70-59 in the last meeting between the two programs on Feb. 11, 2012 at PSU.
Cydney Horton recorded her second career double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds while
Kaela Oakes had a team-high 18 points. The Vikings last defeated ISU at home on Jan. 10, 2009 in a 70-61 decision.
ABOUT EASTERN WASHINGTON
Eastern Washington is 3-5 on the season and 1-4 on the road under 11-year head coach Wendy Shuller. Lexie Nelson is leading the Eagles with 15.4 points per game, the second best scoring average in the conference. Nelson is also tied for second in the conference in free throw percentage, shooting 86.4 percent. She is ranked 59th in the nation with that mark. Carrie Ojeda leads EWU on the boards, averaging 9.9 rebounds per game, the third best in the conference. Ojeda is ranked 81st in the country with that mark. Last season, EWU finished 16-14 overall and took third in the Big Sky with a 10-6 record. In the Big Sky Tournament, the Eagles lost to Sacramento State in the quarterfinals 71-61.
SERIES INFO AND LAST MEETING WITH THE EAGLES
The series between the two programs is tied 33-33 and the Bengals are 19-12 at home against EWU. Idaho State has won five straight against the Eagles and Eastern Washington last defeated ISU at home March 1, 2003 in a 65-61 final. The Bengals won the last contest between the two squads on March 3, 2012 63-58 at ISU in the final regular season game of the year.
Ashleigh Vella posted a double-double in the contest with a game-high 17 points and 13 rebounds.
Kaela Oakes and
Chelsea Pickering scored 13 while
Lindsey Reed tallied 11.
