GAME NOTES | BIG SKY TV | AUDIO | LIVE STATS | TICKETS | TEXT MESSAGE ALERTS
BENGALS IN ACTION THIS WEEK
Idaho State women's basketball (6-7, 1-3) hosts Big Sky newcomer Southern Utah Thursday, Jan. 10 at 7 p.m. inside Reed Gym. The Bengals look to snap a four-game losing streak before the start of a three-game road stretch.
LAST WEEK IN BENGAL BASKETBALL
Last week, Idaho State lost conference contests against North Dakota and Northern Colorado. Junior guard
Lindsey Reed led the Bengals against UND as she posted 18 points, 16 scored in the second half alone. She also had three rebounds, one assist and a steal in the contest. ISU lost the contest 64-59.
Junior forward
Cydney Horton was ISU's top scorer against Northern Colorado. Horton was a point shy of matching her career high as she netted 18 points against the Bears in the 71-63 loss. Horton also posted a team-high eight rebounds and three blocks. A scoring drought beginning at the 6:42 mark in the first half extended NC's lead to as much as 18 before an ISU comeback brought the Bengals to within three midway through the second half but Northern Colorado didn't back down and kept ISU at bay to earn the program's second ever win over Idaho State.
ABOUT THE BENGALS
Idaho State is 6-7 on the season and 1-3 in Big Sky play. Junior guard
Lindsey Reed leads ISU with 12.3 points per game. Forward
Ashleigh Vella is close to averaging a double-double with 10.5 points and 6.6 rebounds per game.
The Bengals are shooting 36.7 percent from the field and 31.0 percent from 3-point range. ISU is averaging 60.7 points per game and allowing just 56.6 points from opponents.
ISU is leading the conference in free throw percentage (73.2) and is second in scoring defense (56.6) and turnover margin (+2.92).
The Bengals are ranked 47th nationally in blocks per game (4.6), 54th in free throw percentage (73.2), 70th in turnover margin (2.92), 77th in scoring defense (56.6) and 98th in turnovers per game (16.2). Senior guard
Kaela Oakes is 18th in the country in free throw percentage (88.6) and junior forward
Cydney Horton is 52nd individually in blocks per game (1.85).
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 can be viewed online at
http://www.americaonesports.com/bigsky.asp.
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 1,094 points, 632 total rebounds and has the fifth most made free throws in program history with 283. 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 (1,094), field goal percentage (44.2) and free throw percentage (74.9). She is ninth in career rebounds with 632.
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.
SOBOLEWSKI MOVING UP IN COACHING RECORDS
With a 74-62 career record, ISU Head Coach Seton Sobolewski has been at the helm of the ISU women's basketball team for 136 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. 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 four 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 946 career points, senior guard Kaela Oakes is 54 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 257 total rebounds, 269 assists and 91 steals. For her career, she is shooting 36.6 percent from the field and 35.0 percent from 3-point range.
Oakes is currently seventh in program history in career free throw percentage (79.8) and is eighth in career 3-point field goals made (107) and assist to turnover ratio (1.20). She is also ninth in career assists with 269.
Oakes is currently second in the Big Sky Conference in free throw percentage (88.6) and fourth in assist to turnover ration (1.2). She is 18th in the nation in free throw percentage.
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 tied for fourth in the conference, averaging 1.8 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 13 contests and started in two. She is averaging 4.8 points and 4.8 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.
REED STEPPING UP
Junior guard Lindsey Reed has become an offensive force for Idaho State this season.
Reed leads ISU, averaging 12.3 points per game and 14.0 points in conference contests. Last season, she averaged 10.7 points and 10.3 in Big Sky games.
With 423 career rebounds and 809 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 SOUTHERN UTAH
Southern Utah is 8-5 overall and 2-1 in Big Sky play under four-year head coach JR Payne.
In its first year in the Big Sky, SUU has defeated fellow newcomer North Dakota (60-54) and most recently Sacramento State (79-71). The Thunderbirds have dropped a conference contest to Northern Arizona (61-71).
Hailey Mandelko leads SUU with 11.2 points per game. She leads the conference in 3-point field goals made, averaging 2.2 per game and is 45th in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage (39.3).
Kimie Hawkins is SUU's top rebounder, averaging 7.5 per contest.
Andrea Jones is second in the Big Sky in assist to turnover ratio (1.6). She is 94th nationally in the same category.
The Thunderbirds lead the conference in scoring offense, averaging 70.8 points per game. SUU is also No. 1 in 3-point field goal percentage (34.7), rebounding offense (45.5), rebound margin (+7.5), assists (15.8), offensive rebounds (18.8) and offensive rebound percentage (44.2).
Southern Utah is 36th nationally in rebound margin, 37th in assists, 38th in 3-point field goal percentage, 48th in scoring offense and 70th in 3-point field goal defense (27.4).
Last season, SUU finished 10th in the Summit League with a 6-23 overall and 2-16 conference record.
SERIES INFO AND LAST MEETING WITH THE THUNDERBIRDS
Idaho State is 29-9 against Southern Utah all time and won the last contest 61-48 on Dec. 21, 2009 in Pocatello.
In that game, Chelsea Pickering led ISU with 14 points and Ashleigh Vella, a true freshman that season, posted her first double-figure scoring performance with 13 points against the Thunderbirds.
The last time Southern Utah defeated Idaho State in Pocatello was on Feb. 16, 1994 in a 75-66 decision.
ISU is 19-2 at home against SUU.
We Are Your Bengals
