Bengals Host Montana Western Tuesday in Holt Arena

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POCATELLO, Idaho- Idaho State returns to Holt Arena for two games this week, beginning Tuesday, Dec. 2 at 7 p.m. vs. Montana Western. The Bengals then host Pacific on Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. Both games will be on 102.5 FM and 930 AM. To follow the game online with live audio, video and stats log onto isubengals.com.

Idaho State leads the overall series 56-3. ISU won the last meeting between the two schools, 70-52 on Nov. 29, 2012.  That game was coach Bill Evans first win as the Bengal head coach. ISU led 36-17 at halftime. Chris Hansen scored 20 points in that game and Nnamdi Ezenwa played and scored six points.

Tuesday's contest is considered an exhibition game for Montana Western. Montana Western is scoring 80 points a game and has made 38 3-pointers on 100 attempts. Stephen McCall is netting 14.2 points a game and Ryan McCarty is netting 12.6 points.

Hansen Putting up the Points
Chris Hansen is on pace to become the 20th Bengal in program history to reach the 1,000 point mark for a career this season. In two plus seasons he has scored 893 points in his career. He scored 342 as a sophomore and 481 as a junior last season.  He has scored 70 points through the first two games.

Cleaning the Glass
Jeffrey Solarin proved to be one the best rebounders in the Big Sky Conference last year as he averaged 8.5 rebounds a game. In the first four games of the 2014-15 season he is averaging 8.8 boards a game. He had a season-high 14 rebounds at Denver.

The Week that Was
In the Bengals only game of the week, ISU lost 60-57 at home to Utah Valley in Reed Gym. Nnamdi Ezenwa had a career-high 18 points and eight rebounds to lead the Bengals. Chris Hansen had 10 points. The Bengals shot 39.3 percent from the field and UVU shot 50 percent. The Bengals only turned the ball over five times in the loss.

Recapping the Two Exhibition Games
Idaho State beat Montana Tech 66-59 and Great Falls 65-40.  Nnamdi Ezenwa led the Bengals with 19 points against Montana Tech and Evann Hall had 13 points against Great Falls

Preseason Rankings
This year the Bengals were picked 10th by the media and coaches. Weber State was picked to win the league in both polls.

Bengal Bites
- In the last nine seasons the most road games ISU has won in a season is five in  2005-06.
- Assistant Coaches Andy Ward and Jay Collins played for Bill Evans at SUU.
- ISU is 4-60 in non-conference road/neutral court games over the last six years. ISU is 17-13 in non-conference home games over that same time period.  Before the 93-90 overtime win at USF, the last road non conference win was Nov. 28, 2009, a 68-65 at UMKC. The Bengals beat Troy, 77-73 on Dec. 22, 2010 at Utah State.
- The Bengal defense is giving up 68.2 points a game, the fifth best mark in the league.
- Chris Hansen is fourth in the conference in scoring at 17.5 points a game.
- Jeff Solarin is tied for third in the conference in rebounding at 8.8 boards as game.
- Jeff Solarin ranks eighth in field goal percentage at .576.
- Nnamdi Ezenwa is fifth in the conference in 3-point field goal percentage at .545. He has made six-of-11 from beyond the arc.
- Chris Hansen is tied for second in the conference in 3-pointers made per game at 2.8.
- Chris Hansen is playing 34 minutes a game, the second most in the Big Sky Conference behind the 34.6 minutes that Weber State's Joel Bolomboy averages.