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POCATELLO, Idaho - After being on the road for the entire month of December the Idaho State men's basketball team returns to Pocatello for its first home Big Sky Conference games on Thursday, January 3 vs. North Dakota and Saturday, January 5 vs. Northern Colorado. Both games are at 7 p.m. at Holt Arena. $5 tickets are available to both games courtesy of ICCU. ICCU is also giving away free shirts to the first 1,500 fans that come to Thursday's game. If fans wear their shirts back to Saturday's game they will get tickets for $2. $5 ticketes are also available for Saturday's game.
Idaho State vs. North Dakota
The series is tied at 1-1 as last year was the first-ever meetings between the two schools. Idaho State beat North Dakota 76-63 in Pocatello and lost 63-47 in Grand Forks. North Dakota is 3-8 and 0-2 in Big Sky play. Troy Huff leads ND in scoring at 13.3 points a game and 14 in conference play. Aaron Anderson is scoring 12 points a game and 17 points in Big Sky play. North Dakota is shooting 64.3 points a game and 66.5 in conference play. ND is shooting .400 percent from the field and .318 percent in its first two league games.
Idaho State vs. Northern Colorado
Idaho State leads the overall series 31-17. ISU swept the season series last year, winning 99-94 (2OT) in Pocatello at 57-54 in Greeley. Northern Colorado is 3-7 and 1-1 in Big Sky Conference play. The Bears are averaging 70 points a game overall and 62 in two league games. Northern Colorado is shooting 45.6 percent from the field and led by Tevin Svihovec's 11.4 points a game. Derrick Barden is scoring 10.9 points and averaging 7.3 rebounds.
The Week That Was...
In the Bengals only game of the week, Idaho State lost at Washington State, 74-39.
Chris Hansen led ISU with 12 points.
Overall Team Big Sky Rankings
The Idaho State defense ranks second in scoring defense at 61.5 points a game, fourth in steals at 6.7, sixth in 3-point field goal defense allowing teams to shoot .439 percent. The Bengal offense ranks 11th in scoring at 49 points per game, 11th in field goal percentage (.384), 11th in 3-point field goal percentage (.271) and 11th in assists (9.9).
Conference Team Only Big Sky Rankings
Idaho State ranks first in steals (9.0), fourth in turnover margin (+ 2.0), fifth in blocks (4.5), fifth in scoring defense (60.0), sixth in field goal percentage (.419), sixth in assists (12.5), 11th in scoring offense (51.5), 11th in free throw percentage (.455), eighth in field goal defense (.454) and 11th in 3-point field goal percentage (.172).
Overall Individual Big Sky Rankings
Tomas Sanchez ranks second in the conference in free throw percentage at .875 (28-for-32), fourth in steals (1.7), 10th in assist-to-turnover ration (1.3), seventh in minutes played (33.6) and 10th in assists (3.4).
Melvin Morgan is 13th in scoring at 12.4 points a game eighth in minutes played at 33.3 and 10th in steals at 1.4.
Ayibakuro Preh is eighth in blocks at 1.4 and
Neveij Walters is 10th in blocks at 1.1.
Bengal Bites
- Idaho State is 6-4 in Big Sky home openers in the last 10 years. Last year ISU lost 73-69 to Montana State. Prior to last year ISU won five straight conference home openers.
- Big Sky teams have played just 19 home games against non-conference Division I opponents this season. Idaho State has yet to play a Division I non-conference home game, while Northern Colorado, Portland State, Sacramento State and Southern Utah have all played one. Eastern Washington, Weber State and Montana State have all played three Division I non-conference home games. Big Sky teams are 8-11 in Division I home games against non-league foes.
- In the last 10 years ISU is 14-24 in overtime games. Since the 2006-07 season ISU has played 24 overtime games, winning seven.
- The Bengals won four road games in the 2011-12 season, the most since winning two in the 2008-09 season. In the last eight seasons the most road games ISU has won in a season is five in 2005-06.
-Idaho State made 14 3-pointers against Northern Colorado on January 26, 2012, the most since making 15 vs. Montana Tech on Dec. 1, 2004.
- ISU is 3-52 in non-conference road/neutral court games over the last four years. ISU is 15-10 in non-conference home games over that same time period. Idaho State's last nonconference road win is Nov. 28, 2009, a 68-65 at UMKC. The Bengals beat Troy, 77-73 on Dec. 22, 2010 at Utah State.
- Idaho State was picked ninth in the preseason polls by the coaches and media. Montana was picked to win the league in both polls.
- Idaho State's last nonconference road win was a 68-65 victory at UMKC on Nov. 28, 2009.
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Melvin Morgan's 13 rebound vs. Montana Western ties for the third most rebounds in a game by a Big Sky Conference player.
Ayibakuro Preh's five blocks vs. Montana Western ties for the second most blocks in a game.
- Idaho State has played or will play three teams that are ranked in the Mid Major Top 25 poll or receiving votes. Utah State is ranked No. 9 in the Mid Major poll while Weber State and Wright State are receiving votes.
We Are Your Bengals
