BENGALS IN ACTION THIS WEEK
Idaho State women's basketball (13-9, 8-5 BSC) faces a tough road trip this week as the Bengals travel north to take on Montana State (14-9, 8-6) and conference-leading Montana (17-6, 11-3). ISU plays Montana State in Bozeman, Mont., Thursday, Feb. 14 at 7:05 p.m. and take on the Lady Griz Saturday, Feb. 16 at 2 p.m. in Dahlberg Arena in Missoula, Mont.
LAST WEEK IN BENGAL BASKETBALL
Idaho State defeated Southern Utah 60-50 in Cedar City, Utah. Junior forward
Cydney Horton led the Bengals with a career-high 28 points, 21 scored in the second half alone. Horton scored her 28 points on 11-14 shooting from the field and was 8-10 from the field in the second half.
ABOUT THE BENGALS
Idaho State is 13-9 on the season and 8-5 in Big Sky play. Senior forward
Ashleigh Vella leads the Bengals, averaging 12.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. In conference action, she leads ISU with13.3 points per contest. Junior guard
Lindsey Reed follows her with 10.7 points per contest while senior guard
Kaela Oakes averages 10.6 points per contest and 11.7 points in Big Sky action.
The Bengals are shooting 36.5 percent from the field and 34.5 percent from 3-point range. ISU is averaging 60.7 points per game and allowing just 54.9 points from opponents.
ISU is second in the Big Sky in scoring defense (54.9), score margin (+5.9), free throw percentage (.729), field goal percentage defense (.359), 3-point field goal percentage (.345), rebounding defense (37.4) and defensive rebound percentage (.692).
The Bengals are ranked 32nd nationally in 3-point field goal percentage (.345), 45th in scoring defense (54.9), 46th in field goal percentage defense (35.9), 55th in free throw percentage (.729), 70th in turnovers (15.5), 80th in blocks (4.0) and 88th in scoring margin (+5.9).
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 contests are available at
www.msubobcats.com and
www.gogriz.com. Score updates will also be available through ISU's social media outlets at Facebook and Twitter as well as in text message alerts. The contests can be viewed on-line at
www.americaonesports.com/bigsky.asp.
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 1,232 points, 683 total rebounds and has the fourth most made free throws in program history with 328. 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 seventh in program history in career points (1,232) and career rebounds (683). She is 10th in field goal percentage (44.3) and ninth in career steals (137) and free throw percentage (75.9).
Her 3-point field goal percentage (41.9) is third in the Big Sky and ranks seventh all-time in ISU history for a single season.
SOBOLEWSKI MOVING UP IN COACHING RECORDS
With an 81-64 career record, ISU Head Coach
Seton Sobolewski has been at the helm of the ISU women's basketball team for 145 games, the third most in program history. He passed Ardie McInelly and moved 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 is Jon Newlee (2002-07) with 175 games and Ted Anderson (1988-95) with 214 games.
Sobolewski has surpassed McInelly and Anderson in career wins (81) and has the second most wins for an ISU coach program history behind Jon Newlee who had 93 wins in his six seasons with the Bengals.
OAKES NAMED SENIOR CLASS AWARD FINALIST
Senior
Kaela Oakes has been named one of 60 women's basketball players from around the country as a finalist for the Senior CLASS Award. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition.
Oakes became the 16th player in program history to reach 1,000 career points with her 20-point performance against Montana (1/24). Oakes now has 1,059 career points.
Oakes, who played her 100th game as a Bengal against Portland State on Dec. 20, currently has 289 total rebounds, 291 assists and 97 steals. For her career, she is shooting 37.2 percent from the field and 35.7 percent from 3-point range.
Oakes is currently seventh in program history in career free throw percentage (79.0) and sixth in 3-point field goals made (117). She is eighth in assist to turnover ratio (1.19). She is also ninth in career assists with 291 and eighth in career free throws with 256.
Oakes is currently third in the Big Sky Conference in free throw percentage (80.6) and is 98th in the country in the same category.
BLOCK THAT SHOT
Junior forward
Cydney Horton became the sixth player in ISU history to record 100 career blocks with her one block against Montana (1/24).
Horton is currently sixth in ISU history in career blocks with 106.
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 35 blocks this season and is fifth in the conference, averaging 1.6 blocks per game. She is 79th in the nation in the same category.
MARACIGAN MAKING HER MARK
Senior guard
Abyee Maracigan has become a strong presence off the bench for Idaho State this season.
Maracigan has appeared in all 22 contests and started in two. She is averaging 4.7 points and 4.7 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 averages 10.7 points per game and 10.3 points in conference contests.
With 463 career rebounds and 887 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 MONTANA STATE
Montana State is 14-9 on the season and is just behind Idaho State in the Big Sky standings with an 8-6 record.
The Bobcats have lost five straight, a streak that began with a loss to the Bengals on Jan. 26 when ISU defeated MSU 63-55 in Pocatello. Prior to that contest, the Bobcats were leading the league with an 8-1 record.
Rachel Semanksy leads MSU with 13.4 points per contest. She is leading the conference in field goal percentage (.565) and is second in offensive rebounds, averaging 3.1 per game.
Kalli Durham follows her in scoring average with 12.7 points per game.
SERIES INFO AND LAST MEETING WITH THE BOBCATS
Montana State leads the all-time series 41-28 and the Bengals are 9-24 in Bozeman.
The Bengals defeated Montana State 59-58 in the last meeting between the two Big Sky foes at Shroyer Gym.
Idaho State won the last contest between the two teams in a 63-55 decision in Reed Gym on Jan. 26, 2013.
ABOUT MONTANA
Montana is 17-6 on the season and 11-3 in Big Sky play after splitting last weekend with Northern Colorado and North Dakota. The Bears broke a 5-game winning streak for the Griz as they defeated UM 54-41 in Greeley.
Kenzie De Boer leads the Griz in scoring, averaging 13.7 points per game. Katie Baker leads the rebounding effort with 7.3 rebounds per game and adds 13.5 points per contest.
The Grizzlies lead the league in scoring margin (+8.9) and is just ahead of the Bengals in field goal percentage defense with a league-leading .353. UM also leads in turnover margin (+5.87) and assist to turnover ratio (1.2).
Freshman Shanae Gilham leads the league in 3-point field goal percentage (.434) while junior Torry Hill is second in assist to turnover ratio (1.8).
SERIES INFO AND LAST MEETING WITH THE GRIZ
Montana leads the all-time series 63-8 and the Bengals are 3-34 all-time in Missoula as ISU notched just its third program win against the Griz in Dahlberg Arena last year in a 58-51 decision.
Montana won the last contest between the two programs as the Griz defeated ISU 57-52 at Reed Gym on Jan. 24, 2013.
MONTANA ROAD TRIP 2011-12
The 2011-12 ISU women's basketball team did something only one other ISU team has been able to do; defeat Montana and Montana State on their home courts in the same road trip.
Last season, ISU showed it was a real contender for the Big Sky title after knocking off Montana and Montana State on the road for just the second time in program history and the first time since the 2000-01 season.
It was just the third time ISU had defeated Montana on the road and was ISU Head Coach
Seton Sobolewski's first career win against the Griz.
SWEEPING MONTANA STATE...
The Bengals are in position to sweep Montana State for the first time since the 2007-08 season. That year, ISU defeated the Bobcats 85-80 at home on Jan. 19 before defeating MSU in Bozeman 85-71 on Feb. 21.
If the Bengals get the sweep, it will be the seventh sweep over MSU in program history.
