GAME NOTES | LIVE STATS (SAC) | LIVE STATS (NAU) | AUDIO | VIDEO
BENGALS IN ACTION THIS WEEK
Idaho State women's basketball (8-7, 3-3 BSC) travels to Sacramento State and Northern Arizona this weekend to wrap up a three-game week. ISU faced the Wildcats Monday, Jan. 14 at 7 p.m., defeating WSU 69-45. The Bengals now face the Hornets Thursday, Jan. 17 at 8 p.m. and the Lumberjacks Saturday, Jan. 19 at 6:35 p.m.
LAST WEEK IN BENGAL BASKETBALL
Last week, Idaho State snapped a four-game losing streak with a win over Big Sky Conference newcomer Southern Utah. The Bengals defeated the Thunderbirds 80-71 and were led by senior guard
Abyee Maracigan who recorded her first career double-double with a career high 21 points and 10 rebounds.
Idaho State defeated Weber State earlier this week 69-45. Senior guard
Kaela Oakes led ISU with a season-high 17 points.
ABOUT THE BENGALS
Idaho State is 8-7 on the season and 3-3 in Big Sky play. Junior guard
Lindsey Reed and senior forward
Ashleigh Vella lead ISU with 11.3 points per game. Vella is close to averaging a double-double with 11.3 points and a team-high 6.3 rebounds per game.
The Bengals are shooting 37.8 percent from the field and 33.7 percent from 3-point range. ISU is averaging 62.5 points per game and allowing just 56.8 points from opponents.
ISU is leading the conference in free throw percentage (73.3) and is second in 3-point field goal percentage (33.7) and 3-point field goals made (5.5/game). The team is third in field goal percentage defense (37.3), rebound defense (36.7), turnover margin (+2.53) and defensive rebound percentage (.684).
The Bengals are ranked 50th nationally in blocks per game (4.6), 56th in free throw percentage (73.0), 73rd in turnover margin (2.71), 78th in 3-point field goal percentage (32.8), 89th in scoring defense (57.6) and 97th in turnovers (16.1).
MULTIMEDIA INFORMATION
Fans can listen to game action at 91.1 KISU or on-line 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.hornetsports.com and www. nauathletics. 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 can be viewed on-line at
http://www.americaonesports.com/bigsky.asp. The NAU game will be broadcast on tape delay on Fox Sports Arizona and Fox College Sports at 11 p.m. Saturday.
THE MID-MAJOR TOP 25 POLL
ISU has dropped out of the College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 but is still receiving votes. ISU's highest rating of the season was No. 21. Montana State is the only other Big Sky school ranked or 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 1,126 points, 641 total rebounds and has the fifth most made free throws in program history with 293. 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 points and 500 rebounds in her career at ISU.
Vella is currently 10th in program history in career points (1,126), field goal percentage (44.4) and free throw percentage (75.1). She is eighth in career rebounds with 641.
SEASON DOUBLE-DOUBLES
Senior guard
Abyee Maracigan posted the first double-double of her career with a career-high 21 points and 10 rebounds against Southern Utah.
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. Maracigan also has one recorded this season against SUU.
SOBOLEWSKI MOVING UP IN COACHING RECORDS
With a 76-62 career record, ISU Head Coach
Seton Sobolewski has been at the helm of the ISU women's basketball team for 138 games, the fourth most in program history. He will pass Ardie McInelly and move into third place in his 140th game on Jan. 19 at Northern Arizona this week. McInelly coached 139 total games over her five-season career at ISU. Ahead of Sobolewski will be Jon Newlee (2002-07) with 175 games and Ted Anderson (1988-95) with 214 games.
With two more victories, Sobolewski will surpass McInelly and Anderson in career wins and will be the second most winningest coach in ISU program history behind Jon Newlee who had 93 wins in his six seasons with the Bengals.
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.
OAKES MOVING UP CAREER CHARTS
With 968 career points, senior guard
Kaela Oakes is 32 points away from recording her 1,000th career point. If she meets the mark, Oakes would become the 16th player in program history to meet the achievement.
Oakes, who played her 100th game as a Bengal against Portland State on Dec. 20, currently has 265 total rebounds, 276 assists and 93 steals. For her career, she is shooting 36.9 percent from the field and 35.7 percent from 3-point range.
Oakes is currently seventh in program history in career free throw percentage (79.9) and 3-point field goals made (111). She is eighth in assist to turnover ratio (1.21). She is also ninth in career assists with 276.
Oakes is currently leading the Big Sky Conference in free throw percentage (89.2) and third in assist to turnover ration (1.3).
BLOCK THAT SHOT
Junior forward
Cydney Horton is just five blocks away from recording her 100th career block. Horton would become the sixth ISU player in program history to reach the mark.
Horton is currently sixth in ISU history in career blocks as she has posted 95 so far in her career.
During the 2011-12 season, Horton posted the seventh most single-season blocks in program history as she tallied 47 in her sophomore campaign.
Horton currently has 24 blocks this season and is fifth in the conference, averaging 1.6 blocks per game.
MARACIGAN MAKING HER MARK
Senior guard
Abyee Maracigan has become a strong presence off the bench for Idaho State this season.
During the 2011-12 season, Maracigan appeared in just 10 contests and averaged 0.9 points and 0.8 reboubds per game.
This season, Maracigan has appeared in all 15 contests and started in two. She is averaging 5.9 points and 5.0 rebounds for ISU and in a five-game stretch from the Utah Valley game through Arizona State, she averaged 7.2 points and 6.8 rebounds. Against Southern Utah (1/10) she posted her first career double-double with a career-high 21 points and 10 rebounds.
REED STEPPING UP
Junior guard
Lindsey Reed has become an offensive force for Idaho State this season.
Reed leads ISU, averaging 11.3 points per game and 11.2 points in conference contests. Last season, she averaged 10.7 points and 10.3 in Big Sky games.
With 426 career rebounds and 820 career points, Reed is well on her way to becoming the 13th player in ISU history to record 500 rebounds and 1,000 points.
ABOUT SACRAMENTO STATE
Sacramento State is 8-6 on the season and 3-2 in conference play. The Hornets have won two straight with victories over Portland State and Eastern Washington.
Fantasia Hilliard leads Sacramento State in scoring with 12.1 points per game and 15.6 points per conference contest. Hilliard is also leading the conference in assists, averaging 6.6 per game.
Kylie Kuhns is SAC's and the Big Sky's top rebounder, averaging 11.9 per game. She also leads the Big Sky in offensive and defensive rebounds.
Alle Moreno leads the conference in 3-point field goals made (2.1/game) while Megan Krtischer leads the league in blocks (4.0/game).
Sacramento State leads the conference in scoring offense (71.3), blocks (6.6), assists (16.4), steals (12.4), defensive rebounds (15.6) and 3-point field goals made (6.5). The Hornets are second in rebounding offense (43.6), turnover margin (+2.57), assist to turnover margin (0.9) and offensive rebounds (15.6).
SERIES INFO AND LAST MEETING WITH THE HORNETS
Idaho State leads the series 32-2 and the Bengals are 14-2 at Sacramento State.
The Bengals won the last contest with the Hornets 70-57 in the Big Sky Conference Tournament semifinals.
Lindsey Reed led the Bengals with a double-double, scoring 17 points and pulling down a career-high 11 rebounds.
ABOUT NORTHERN ARIZONA
Northern Arizona is 3-11 on the season and 2-3 in league play. The team lost its last contest to Portland State 60-59.
Amy Patton is leading the Lumberjacks in both scoring and rebounds. She averages 20.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. She is leading the conference in scoring and is second in the Big Sky in steals, averaging 2.7 per contest.
NAU is second in the conference in field goal percentage (41.7).
Paige Haynes is second in the conference in assists, averaging 4.6 per contest.
SERIES INFO AND LAST MEETING WITH THE LUMBERJACKS
Idaho State leads the series with NAU 31-26 and the Bengals are 12-16 in Flagstaff, Ariz.
Idaho State won the last contest with NAU 62-54 in Pocatello, Idaho.
Idaho State has won two straight against the Lumberjacks.
NAU's last win against ISU was on Feb. 12, 2011 in a 59-55 decision in Flagstaff.
