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BENGALS IN ACTION THIS WEEK
Idaho State (15-10, 10-6 BSC) prepares for its final home stand of the 2012-13 season with match-ups against Northern Arizona (7-18, 6-10 BSC) and Sacramento State (15-10, 10-6 BSC). The Bengals face the Lumberjacks Thurday, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. and take on the Hornets on Senior Day Saturday, March 2 at 2 p.m.
LAST WEEK IN BENGAL BASKETBALL
Last week, Idaho State faced conference rival Weber State at home in Reed Gym on Thursday night. The Bengals defeated the Wildcats 68-37. Senior forward
Ashleigh Vella led all scorers with 14 points and pulled down a game-high nine rebounds. Junior guard
Lindsey Reed scored 13 points with four rebounds while senior forward
Jessa Jeppesen added 12 points with seven rebounds.
ABOUT THE BENGALS
Idaho State is 15-10 on the season and 10-6 in Big Sky play. Senior forward
Ashleigh Vella leads the Bengals, averaging 12.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. In conference action, she leads ISU with12.6 points per contest. Junior forward
Cydney Horton follows Vella in rebounds with 6.2 rebounds per game while senior guard
Kaela Oakes is second in scoring with 10.8 points per contest and 11.8 points per conference match-up.
The Bengals are shooting 36.6 percent from the field and 34.4 percent from 3-point range. ISU is averaging 60.7 points per game and allowing just 54.0 points from opponents.
ISU leads the conference in scoring defense (54.0) and is second in scoring margin (+6.7), free throw percentage (.733), field goal percentage (.352), 3-point field goal percentage (.344) and defensive rebounding (27.0).
The Bengals are ranked 34th nationally in both scoring defense (54.0) and field goal percentage defense (35.2), 36th in 3-point field goal percentage (34.4), 53rd in free throw percentage (73.3), 66th in blocks (4.2), 73rd in turnovers (15.4) and 79th in scoring margin (6.7).
SENIOR DAY
Saturday's contest will be the final home game for seniors
Ashleigh Vella,
Kaela Oakes,
Jessa Jeppesen,
Abyee Maracigan and
Taylor Floyd. The five seniors will be recognized prior to tipoff.
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.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. The contests can be viewed on-line at
www.americaonesports.com/bigsky.asp.
SETTING THE FIELD FOR BIG SKY CHAMPIONSHIP
Four Big Sky teams have clinched a spot in the 2013 Big Sky Women's Basketball Tournament.
Montana, Northern Colorado, Eastern Washington and Sacramento State have earned spots in the tournament.
Montana leads the conference with a 13-3 conference record and is followed closely by Northern Colorado at 13-4. Eastern Washington is currently in third place with an 11-5 record and Sacramento State is tied for fourth with ISU with a 10-6 record.
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 1,260 points, 704 total rebounds and has the fourth most made free throws in program history with 335. 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 sixth in program history in career points (1,260) and seventh in career rebounds (704). She is 10th in field goal percentage (44.1) and blocks (73) and ninth in career steals (141) and free throw percentage (76.1). She is fourth in career games played with 117.
Her 3-point field goal percentage (42.6) is second in the Big Sky and tied for fifth all-time in ISU history for a single season.
SOBOLEWSKI MOVING UP IN COACHING RECORDS
With an 83-65 career record, ISU Head Coach
Seton Sobolewski has been at the helm of the ISU women's basketball team for 148 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 (83) 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 was 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 1,096 career points.
Oakes, who played her 100th game as a Bengal against Portland State on Dec. 20, currently has 298 total rebounds, 299 assists and 102 steals. For her career, she is shooting 37.2 percent from the field and 36.0 percent from 3-point range.
Oakes is currently seventh in program history in career free throw percentage (78.9) and fifth in 3-point field goals made (122). She is eighth in assist to turnover ratio (1.21). She is also ninth in career assists with 299 and eighth in career free throws with 262.
Oakes is fifth in the conference in free throw percentage (.800) and 91st in the nation 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 fifth in ISU history in career blocks with 112, surpassing Natalie Doma's 110 career blocks.
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 41 blocks this season and is fifth in the conference, averaging 1.6 blocks per game. She is 72nd in the nation in the same category.
REED STEPPING UP
Junior guard
Lindsey Reed has become an offensive force for Idaho State this season.
Reed averages 10.5 points per game and 10.1 points in conference contests.
With 475 career rebounds and 915 career points, Reed is well on her way to becoming the 13th player in ISU history to record 500 rebounds and 1,000 points.
SOBOLEWSKI CLOSING IN ON 50TH CONFERENCE WIN
ISU Head Coach
Seton Sobolewski recorded his 50th career Big Sky win last Thursday against Weber State.
Sobolewski is 50-30 all-time in Big Sky play and has defeated every Big Sky team at least once.
50 conference wins is the third best all-time for any ISU head coach. Jon Newlee leads with 54 conference wins and is followed by Ardie McInelly with 53 wins.
ABOUT NORTHERN ARIZONA
Northern Arizona is 7-18 overall and 6-10 in Big Sky action. NAU lost 78-68 last week to Sacramento State at home. The Lumberjacks are 3-10 on the road this season.
Amy Patton leads NAU and is first in the conference in scoring with 18.0 points per contest. She leads the Lumberjacks in rebounding and is third in the conference with 8.0 per game. She is also third in the league in defensive rebounds, averaging 6.8 per contest.
Paige Haynes is second in the Big Sky in free throw percentage (.818) and third in assists, averaging 4.1 per game.
NAU is averaging 62.1 points per contest and allowing 68.7.
SERIES INFO AND LAST MEETING WITH THE LUMBERJACKS
Idaho State leads the series 32-26 and the Bengals are 18-10 against the Lumberjacks at home.
Idaho State has won three straight against NAU. Northern Arizona's last win over ISU was on Feb. 12, 2011 in a 59-55 final in Flagstaff, Arizona.
NAU's last win in Pocatello was on Jan. 22, 2009 in a 66-60 final.
Idaho State won the last contest between the two programs 52-48 at NAU. Senior forward
Ashleigh Vella led with 18 points, scoring 11 in the second half alone. The win gave ISU Head Coach
Seton Sobolewski his 78th win making him the second winningest coach in program history.
ABOUT SACRAMENTO STATE
Sacramento State is 15-10 overall and is tied for fourth in the league standings with a 10-6 record. The Hornets are 6-8 on the road this season and won one game last week with a 78-68 victory over NAU in Flagstaff, Ariz.
Alle Moreno leads the Hornets in scoring, averaging 12.8 points per contest. Moreno is leading the league in 3-point field goals made, averaging 2.4 per game.
Kylie Kuhns leads SAC and the conference in rebounding, averaging 10.6 per contest. She also leads the league in offensive rebounds (3.5). She is second in the Big Sky in field goal percentage (.544) and defensive rebounds (7.1).
Fantasia Hilliard leads the Big Sky in assists with 6.2 per game while Megan Kritscher leads in blocks with 3.8 per contest.
Sacramento State is leading the league in scoring offense (73.2), blocks (6.2), assists (17.3), steals (12.2), defensive rebounds (27.5) and 3-point field goals (6.6). The team is second in assist to turnover ratio (1.0).
SERIES INFO AND LAST MEETING WITH THE HORNETS
Idaho State leads the series 33-2 and the Bengals are 17-0 at home against the Hornets.
The Bengals have won two straight against the Hornets including the last contest between the two programs. ISU won the contest in Sacramento on Jan. 17, 2013 62-52. Junior guard
Lindsey Reed led ISU with 19 points while junior forward
Cydney Horton posted 12 points and nine rebounds.
Sacramento State's last win against ISU was on Feb. 23, 2012 in Sacramento. The Hornets won the game 73-65.
