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BENGALS IN ACTION THIS WEEK
Idaho State (18-12, 13-7 BSC) has been selected to participate in the 2013 Women's National Invitation Tournament. It is the fourth time in program history that ISU has appeared at the WNIT. The Bengals face Brigham Young in the first round at Provo, Utah at 7 p.m., Wednesday, March 20. The game can be viewed on BYUtv.
IDAHO STATE IN THE WNIT
This will be ISU's fourth program appearance at the WNIT and first appearance since 2008. ISU was also selected to compete in the tournament in 2004 and 2006. ISU's last WNIT opponent was Boise State. The Bengals lost to the Broncos in the first round 77-54 in Boise, Idaho.
LAST WEEK IN BENGAL BASKETBALL
Last week, the Bengals dropped out of the Big Sky Conference Tournament with a 73-60 loss to Sacramento State in the quarterfinals. Senior forward
Jessa Jeppesen recorded the third double-double of her career with 14 points and a career-high 14 rebounds. Junior guard
Lindsey Reed led all players with 17 points on the night.
ABOUT THE BENGALS
Idaho State is 18-12 on the season and 13-7 in Big Sky play. Senior forward
Ashleigh Vella leads the Bengals, averaging 12.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. Junior forward
Cydney Horton follows Vella in rebounds with 6.0 per game while senior guard
Kaela Oakes is second in scoring with 11.2 points per contest.
The Bengals are shooting 37.3 percent from the field and 33.6 percent from 3-point range. ISU is averaging 61.6 points per game and allowing just 55.1 points from opponents.
The Bengals are ranked 26th nationally in field goal percentage defense (35.0), 45th in scoring defense (55.1), 49th in 3-point field goal percentage (33.6), 63rd in turnovers per game (15.0), 66th in blocks per game (4.2), 67th in free throw percentage (72.6), 77th in scoring margin (+6.5) and 99th in rebound margin (2.9).
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.byucougars.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 BYUtv.
OAKES, VELLA EARN ALL-CONFERENCE HONORS
The Big Sky Conference has announced that Idaho State seniors
Ashleigh Vella and
Kaela Oakes have been named Second Team All-Big Sky Conference.
This is the third all-conference honor for both Oakes and Vella. Oakes was a first team selection in 2012 and was named honorable mention in 2011. Vella was an honorable mention selection in 2011 and 2012.
Vella was also named College Sports Madness Second Team All-Big Sky Conference this season.
WINNING BIG
ISU won three straight games by 20 or more points in the final weeks of February and beginning of March. That marked the first time the program had done that since November 29 through December 5, 2003. During that stretch, ISU defeated Lehigh 95-52, defeated Southern Utah 98-65 and Denver 95-61. The 2003-04 squad actually started the year 5-1 with all five wins coming by 20 or more points.
Seton Sobolewski has now had 16 games with a winning margin of 20 or more points in his career.
ISU has had seven games (so far) this year where it won by 20 or more points. That is the most 20-plus scoring margin wins in a single season since 2006-07. That team had nine wins by 20 or more points.
VELLA AND OAKES: LASTING LEGACY
Seniors
Ashleigh Vella and
Kaela Oakes have recorded 75 wins in their four years at Idaho State, the most of any four-year player in program history.
TOURNAMENT TICKET PRICES
Prices for WNIT first round tickets at BYU are as follows:
General Adult: $6
Child/Student: $5
Courtside: $20
Call 801-422-BYU1 for more ticket information.
VELLA TO BREAK GAMES PLAYED RECORD
As long as senior
Ashleigh Vella plays in the contest against Brigham Young, she will break the all-time career games played record at Idaho State.
She is currently tied for the record with Michelle Grohs and Devin Diehl at 122 games played. With playing action against BYU Wednesday, she will hold the record outright with 123 games played.
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 1,326 points, 746 total rebounds and has the fourth most made free throws in program history with 349. 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 fifth in career points (1,325), sixth in career rebounds (746) and eighth in blocks (79) and steals (144). She is ninth in career field goals made (445) and 10th in free throw percentage (75.4).
SOBOLEWSKI MOVING UP IN COACHING RECORDS
With an 86-67 career record, ISU Head Coach
Seton Sobolewski has been at the helm of the ISU women's basketball team for 153 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 (86) and has the second most wins for an ISU coach in 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 1,160 career points.
Oakes, who played her 100th game as a Bengal against Portland State on Dec. 20, currently has 309 total rebounds, 310 assists and 111 steals. For her career, she is shooting 37.2 percent from the field and 35.9 percent from 3-point range.
Oakes is currently seventh in program history in career free throw percentage (78.6) and assists (310). She is fifth in 3-point field goals made (130) and ninth all-time in scoring (1,160).
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 116, 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. This season she has tallied 45, the ninth most in a single season.
Horton is currently 72nd in the nation, averaging 1.67 blocks per contest.
REED STEPPING UP
Junior guard
Lindsey Reed has become an offensive force for Idaho State this season.
Reed averages 10.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game for the Bengals.
With 490 career rebounds and 967 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 WINS 50TH CONFERENCE GAME
ISU Head Coach
Seton Sobolewski recorded his 50th career Big Sky win Thursday, Feb. 21 against Weber State.
Sobolewski is 53-31 all-time in Big Sky play and has defeated every Big Sky team at least once.
53 conference wins is tied for the second best all-time for any ISU head coach. Jon Newlee leads with 54 conference wins. Sobolewski and McInelly follow with 53.
ABOUT BRIGHAM YOUNG
Brigham Young is 20-9 overall and finished WCC play with an 11-5 league record under 12-year head coach Jeff Judkins this season.
BYU won the 2012 WCC Championship, earning a trip to the NCAA Tournament last season. This year, the Cougars lost to Gonzaga in the WCC semifinals 62-43. The Cougars finished the regular season tied for third. BYU is currently ranked No. 18 in the Mid-Major Poll.
Jennifer Hamson is the top rebounder for BYU with 8.2 per game and is the top scorer, averaging 10.6 points per contest.
Haley Steed is second in Division I in assists, averaging 7.4 per contest and is fourth in the nation in assist to turnover ratio (2.64). Steed is also 49th in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage (37.1) and is 93rd in 3-point field goals made, averaging 2.13 per game.
Kim Beeston is 34th in Division I in 3-point field goal percentage (38.2) and 80th in 3-point field goals made (2.19).
The Cougars are 13th in the nation in assists per game (16.7), 24th in assist to turnover ratio (1.08), 27th in 3-point field goals per game (7.1), 28th in 3-point field goal percentage (34.9) and 39th in field goal percentage defense (35.7). BYU is also 57th in blocks per contest (4.3), 64th in field goal percentage (41.8), 65th in scoring defense (56.8), 69th in scoring margin (7.2), 70th in win-loss percentage (67.7), 81st in turnovers per game (15.5) and 89th in rebound margin (3.2).
Haley Steed and Jennifer Hamson have been named to the 2012-13 All-West Coast Conference Team. The honor is the second for Steed and the first for Hamson. In October both were named to the All-WCC Preseason Team along with Lexi Eaton. Eaton suffered a season-ending injury eight games into the 2012-13 campaign.
Keilani Unga was named All-West Coast Conference Honorable Mention.
SERIES INFO AND LAST MEETING WITH THE COUGARS
BYU leads the all-time series 12-3 and the Bengals are 1-7 against the Cougars in Provo.
BYU has won three straight against the Bengals. The last contest between the two schools was Nov. 10, 2006 in the Pre-season Women's National Invite Tournament. BYU won the contest 73-50 in Provo, Utah.
Idaho State's last win against BYU was on Dec. 28, 2000 in Pocatello, Idaho. The Bengals defeated the Cougars 58-56.
ISU's only win against the Cougars in Provo was on Dec. 17, 1990. ISU won the contest 76-73.
