Bengals Open the Big Sky Tourney with EWU

Notes l Live Video l Live Audio l Live Stats

POCATELLO, Idaho - Idaho State plays Eastern Washington in the quarterfinals of the Big Sky tournament at 6:30 p.m. (MDT), Thursday at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center in Grand Forks, N. D.
 
Idaho State (13-16, 11-9 BSC) is the fifth seed in the tournament and plays the fourth seed Eagles (16-13, 12-8 BSC). North Dakota (20-9, 15-5 BSC) is the top seed and earned the right to host the tournament. UND receives a bye to the semifinals as the No. 1 seed.
 
Southern Utah (21-8, 15-5 BSC) is the regular-season co-champion and the second seed of the tournament. The Thunderbirds play seventh seeded Sacramento State (18-11, 10-10 BSC) in the quarterfinals. Third seeded Montana (20-9, 14-6 BSC) plays sixth seeded Montana State (15-14, 10-10 BSC) also meet in the quarterfinals.d
 
In the semifinals North Dakota will play the lowest remaining seed while the other two teams face each-other.
 
Lindsey Reed leads ISU in scoring at 16.4 points per game. Jessica Tingey scores 11.8 PPG and leads the Bengals with 6.8 rebounds per game.
 
FOLLOWING THE BENGALS IN GRAND FORKS
Fans can to watch Idaho State's game against Eastern Washington, as well as every tournament game, by going to watchbigsky.com or downloading the Watch Big Sky app on their Apple or Android device.
 
Fans can also listen live to the voice of the Bengals, Mark Liptak, on KISU 91.1 in the Pocatello area or by clicking the "listen live" link on the front page of isubengals.com.
 
Idaho State sports information will update the @ISUAthletics Twitter account live during the game and the Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts will be updated with behind the scene looks at the Bengals' experience in Grand Forks.
 
TICKET INFORMATION
 
Bengal Fans traveling to Grand Forks can buy all-session passes or single day passes starting at 10 a.m. on the day of the game.
All-session reserved package:
$15 upper reserved and $27 lower reserved
Single-Session tickets:
            Adult: $10 upper reserved and $15 lower reserved
            Youth (2-12 years): $5
            UND Students (with valid ID): $5
 
ABOUT EASTERN WASHINGTON
Lexie Nelson leads the Eagles in scoring at 16.1 points per game. Hayley Hodgins scores 13.6 PPG and Laura Hughes 11.6 PPG. Melissa Williams leads Eastern with 6.3 rebounds per game.
 
The Eagles are coached Wendy Schuller. She has a 177-206 record in 13 seasons.
 
 ISU- EWU REGULAR SEASON: BENGALS AND EAGLES EACH WIN AT HOME
Eastern won the first match 67-55 on Jan. 4, in Cheney, Wash. The Eagles started the game with an 11-0 run and kept the Bengals at arm's length to win by 12.
 
 Idaho State won the second matchup 86-62 on March 6. The Bengals and Eagles were tied at 31 at the half but ISU exploded for 55 points in the second half to earn the win.
 
 Idaho State shot 79.2 percent from the field in the second half, led by Sheryl Bitter who was six-for-six.
 
 
11-STRAIGHT
With ISU's 86-62 win over Eastern Washington, the Bengals clinched their 11th consecutive trip to the Big Sky Tournament. The streak is the second-longest current streak in the Big Sky, behind only Montana. The Grizzlies have played in every Big Sky Tournament.
 
 LAST GAME: PORTLAND STATE
Four Bengal seniors scored in double figures to lead Idaho State to a 79-64 win over Portland State in the final regular-season game of 2013-14 and the final home game their career.
 
 Lindsey Reed scored a game-high 21 points followed by Kara Jenkins who scored 17 and grabbed a game-high nine rebounds. Jessica Tingey scored 16 for the Bengals and Sheryl Bitter finished with 11.
 
 PSU took a 23-14 lead with 7:38 left on a jumper by Delanie Parry. The Bengals then went on a 13-4 run to tie the game at 27 on a layup by Reed with 3:10 left in the half.
 
 ISU and PSU traded leads but the Vikings took a 33-32 lead with four seconds left in the half on two free throws Lariel Powell.
 
 The second half started much the way the first half ended, with the two teams trading baskets and leads. Bitter hit a 3-pointer with 16:01 to play to give ISU a 45-42 lead. The Bengals never trailed again.
 
 The Vikings were able to keep the game close until a layup by Rebecca Schrimpsher kicked off a 15-0 run to give the Bengals a 74-56 lead with 2:34 left in the game.
 
 Kate Lanz was able to cut the ISU lead to 76-62 with just under a minute to play but Reed hit her last shot attempted ever in Reed Gym, a 3-pointer, to give the Bengals a 79-62 lead.
 
 REED, TINGEY HONORED BY THE BIG SKY CONFERENCE
Idaho State seniors Lindsey Reed and Jessica Tingey earned Big-Sky honors on Monday as voted upon by the coaches in the league.
Reed was first-team all-conference and Tingey earned honorable mention honors.
 
Reed was third in the Big Sky in scoring at 16.4 points per game. She also was 10th in the conference with 6.3 rebounds per game and sixth in the conference with 3.9 assists per game.
 
Tingey was second on the team in scoring at 11.8 points per game and her 6.8 rebounds ranked eighth in the conference. She also was sixth in the conference in field goal percentage at 51.1 percent.
 
 BENGALS SHINE IN THE SECOND HALF
Idaho State has outscored their opponents in the second half in 13 of the last 15 games, including the last six games.
 
BENGAL OFFENSE
The Bengals averaged 64.2 points per game. It is the best offensive output for Idaho State since 2010-11 when ISU averaged 66.3 PPG. This is the second best offensive output Head Coach Seton Sobolewski's tenure.
2013-14                64.2
2012-13                61.4
2011-12                62
2010-11                66.3
2009-10                61.3
2008-09                61.6
 
 
 SOBOLEWSKI ON THE VERGE OF THE CENTURY MARK
The Idaho State win over Portland State was Head Coach Seton Sobolewski's 99th career win in his six seasons at ISU. Here is a look at the banner wins of Sobolewski's career.
 
His first career win came in a 67-50 victory over Alcorn State on Nov. 17, 2008.
His 25th career win came in a 63-51 victory against Portland State on Feb. 26, 2010.
His 50th career win came in a 47-36 victory against Jackson State on Dec.  3, 2011.
His 75th career win came in a 70-38 victory against Carroll College on Dec.14, 2012.
 
 SOBOLEWSKI BECOMES THE WINNINGEST COACH IN ISU HISTORY
The win over Northern Arizona on Feb. 1 was Head Coach Seton Sobolewski's 94th career victory. The win pushed Sobolewski past Jon Newlee as the winningest coach in ISU history.
 
Sobolewski has led Idaho State to the Big Sky tournament each year of his tenure, including 2012 when the Bengals won the conference championship to advance to the NCAA tournament.  His current record is 99-85 overall and 64-40 in Big Sky play.
REED IN THE RECORD BOOKS
With 19 points against Illinois-Chicago Lindsey Reed surpassed 1000 career points. She is just the 17th player in ISU history to join the 1000 point club. She hit the 500 career rebound mark against Black Hills State in the first game of the season.
 
Against Southern Utah Reed moved into the top 10 all-time in rebounds, with 676 career rebounds she is eighth in ISU History. Her 1,446 career points ranks fourth in ISU history.
 
 Scoring
3. Mandi Carver  1,538
4. Lindsey Reed 1,446
5. Ashley Toner   1,342
 
 Rebounding
7. Jeanne Gragg 733
8. Lindsey Reed  676
9. Michelle Grohs 669