Men's Basketball Plays at SUU

Game Notes | Audio | Video | Live Stats |

POCATELLO, Idaho- Idaho State returns to the road for games at Southern Utah (January 15) and Northern Arizona (January 17). Tipoff at Southern Utah is at 7 p.m. while Saturday's game at NAU tips at 4 p.m. Jerry Miller will call both games on 102.5 FM and 930 AM. Saturday's game at NAU will also be broadcast on Fox Sports Arizona and Fox College Sports Pacific. For information on how to follow the game online log onto isubengals.com.

Idaho State vs. SUU
Southern Utah leads the series 13-9 but the Bengals have won three of the last four meetings, including the last two in Cedar City. Last year ISU swept SUU 75-65 in Cedar City and 60-45 in Pocatello.

Scouting the T-Birds
SUU is 3-11 and 1-2 in Big Sky Conference play.  The T-Birds score 68.1 points a game while giving up 75.5 points. SUU shoots .436 percent from the field and averages 31.6 rebounds a game.  A.J. Hess leads the team in scoring at 12.1 points a game and James McGee is scoring 9.7 points a game.

Idaho State vs. NAU
Idaho State leads the series 50-44 but NAU has won the last four meetings. Last year NAU beat ISU 66-65 in Pocatello and 67-65. Both games were won in the final seconds. Seven of the last nine meetings have been decided by six points or less.

Scouting the Lumberjacks
NAU is 7-9 and 2-1 in Big Sky Conference play. Quinton Upshur leads the Lumberjacks in scoring at 13.5 points a game and Aaseem Dixon is also scoring 13.5 points. NAU is scoring 66.6 points a game and shooting .402 percent from the field. NAU shooting 70.3 percent from the free throw line and averages 36.1 rebounds a game.

Hansen Putting up the Points
Chris Hansen became the 20th Bengal in ISU men's basketball history to reach the 1,000 point mark. He scored nine points vs. Bakersfield on Dec. 20 to reach the mark and he now has 1,084 points in his career. Here is where he ranks on the all-time scoring list.

1. Les Roh        1952-56    1964
2. Steve Hayes        1973-77    1933
3. Donn Holston        1982-87    1819
4. Jim Potter        1991-95    1810
5. Arthur Crump        1961-64    1557
6. Willie Humes        1969-71    1510
7. Lloyd Harris        1955-58    1489
8. Lawrence Butler        1977-79    1420
9. Frank Swopes        1959-62    1304
10. David Schroeder    2002-03, 2004-07    1265
11. Amorrow Morgan    2006-10    1221
12. Ron Boone        1965-68    1221
13. Jim Rodgers        1956-59    1186
14. Dave Wagnon        1964-66    1183
15. Nate Green        1993-97    1141
16. Chris Hansen        2011-15    1084

Redshirt year pays off for ezenwa
As a junior during the 2012-13 season, Nnamdi Ezenwa played in  all 30 games but averaged 18 minutes, 2.3 points, .4 rebounds and shot .358 percent from the field. After redshirting during the 2013-14 season, Ezenwa is now playing 31.2 minutes a game, averaging 8.6 points and 5.7  rebounds a game. He had a career-high 18 points on Nov. 26 against UVU and nine rebounds in a loss to Montana.

Long Range
Chris Hansen has moved to No. 2 in the ISU career record books for 3-pointers made and attempted.
Career 3-pointers Made
1- David Schroeder 211
2- Chris Hansen 189
3- Austin Kilpatrick 183

Career 3-pointers Attempted
1- Austin Kilpatrick 510
2- Chris Hansen 504

Playing it Close
Since the start of the 2013-14 season, 22 of Idaho State's 30 losses have been by nine points or loss. In 2013-14, 16 of ISU's 18 losses were by eight points or less and this year ISU has lost six games by nine points or less.
Losses by 9 points: vs. Bakersfield
Losses by 8 points: at Utah, at Eastern Washington (13-14); at Eastern Washington (2014-15)
Losses by 7 points: at Northern Colorado
Losses by 6 points: at Weber State, at Sacramento State, at Montana State, vs. Pacific
Losses by 5 points: vs. North Dakota, vs. Montana
Losses by 4 points: at North Dakota, at Idaho, vs. Bakersfield, at Portland State; at UVU
Losses by 3 points: vs. UVU, vs. South Dakota State
Losses by 2 points: at Bakersfield, at NAU
Losses by 1 point: at Montana, vs. NAU

Bengal Bites
-  Chris Hansen's 17 free throws made and attempted vs. Montana State on January 8 was the most by any Big Sky Conference player this season.
- Chris Hansen's 1,084 points ranks fifth among active players in the Big Sky Conference for points scored.
- Chris Hansen's 17 free throws was two away from tying the school record of 19 set by Willie Humes vs. NAU in 1971 and Dave Wagnon vs. Seattle in 1966.
- In the last nine seasons the most road games ISU has won in a season is five in  2005-06.
- ISU is 5-63 in non-conference road/neutral court games over the last six years. ISU is 19-14 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.
- Jeffrey Solarin has a league-best five double-doubles this year.

Here is a look where the Bengals rank in the conference stats for all- games played.
- Scoring 12th, 60.8
- Scoring Defense, 1st, 66.4
- Free throw percentage, 12th, 64.0
- Field goal percentage, 10th, 41.2
- Field goal percentage defense, 1st, 41.8
- 3-point field goal percentage, 12th, 28.5
- 3-point field goal percentage defense, 4th, 34.6
- Rebounding, 4th, 33.7
- Blocks, 7th, 2.9
- Assists, 11th, 10.3
- Steals, 4th, 6.9
- Offensive Rebounds, 4th, 10.8
- Defensive Rebounds, 4th, 22.9
- 3-pointers made per game, 12th, 4.4

Here is where the Bengals rank in the individual conference stats for all-games played.
- Chris Hansen, 6th, scoring 16.3 points.
- Jeffrey Solarin, 2nd, rebounding, 8.6
- Jeffrey Solarin, 5th, field goal percenrage 58.3
- Ben Wilson, 9th, assists, 3.3
- Chris Hansen, 3rd, free throw percentage, 85.9
- Nnamdi Ezenwa, 7th, steals, 1.4
- Chris Hansen, 9th, steals, 1.4
- Chris Hansen 3-pointers made per game, 7th, 2.5
- Jeffrey Solarin, 9th, blocks, .9
- Ben Wilson, 3rd, Assist to turnover ratio, 2.0
- Jeffrey Solarin, 3rd, offensive rebounds, 3.6
- Jeffrey Solarin, 4th, defensive rebounds, 5.0
- Ben Wilson, 5th, Minutes Played, 33.2
- Chris Hansen, 6th, minutes played, 32.9

Team Conference Stats Only
- Scoring, 11th, 61.2
- Scoring defense, 7th, 73.2
- Free Throw Percentage, 9th, .70.9
- Field Goal Percentage, 11th, .420
- Field Goal Percentage defense, 5th, .455
- 3-point field goal percentage, 11th , .306
- 3-point field goal percentage defense, 12th, .446
- Rebounding, 7th, 31.8
- Blocks, 4th, 3.8
- Assists, 12th, 9.8
- Steals, 3rd, 5.8
- Offensive rebounds, 9th, 9.8
- 3-pointers made per game, 12th, 3.8

Conference Only Individual Stats
- Chris Hansen, 7th, Scoring, 17.8 points
- Jeffrey Solarin, 4th rebounding, 7.5 rebounds
- Jeffrey Solarin, 10th FG percentage, .579
- Chris Hansen, 1st, free throws, 1.000
- Jeffrey Solarin, 7th, steals, 1.3
- Chris Hansen, 3-point FG made, 7th, 2.8
- Jeffrey Solarin, 6th, blocks, 1.3
- Ajak Magot, 6th, blocks 1.3
- Jeffrey Solarin, 5th, offensive rebounds, 3.0