Women's Basketball Opens Season Friday Against Colorado Christian

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POCATELLO, Idaho – The ISU women's basketball team kicks off the 2015-16 season Friday evening against visiting Colorado Christian at 6 p.m. at the ICCU Court at Reed Gym in the first game of a double-header with ISU men's basketball.

SCOUTING COLORADO CHRISTIAN
Colorado Christian is fresh off a 61-58 victory at Northern Colorado on Nov. 8. The Cougars return seven letter winners and three starters from last season's team that finished 19-14 overall with a 15-7 mark in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play. Top returners include Kate Louthan (12.5 ppg, 2.5 apg) and Claire Paxton (11.6 ppg, 1.3 apg).

Three players finished in double figures for the Cougars at UNC, with Ali Meyer scoring 13 points with 10 boards, Taylor Torres finishing with 12 points and Paxton finishing with 11 points and eight rebounds.

Colorado Christian is coached by Head Coach Tim Hays who carries a 120-90 overall record in seven years with the Cougars.

PREVIOUS GAME: BENGALS ROUTE WESTERN OREGON 73-56 IN SATURDAY EXHIBITION
The Idaho State women's basketball team defeated Western Oregon 73-56 Saturday evening in its only exhibition game of the season.

The Bengals jumped to an early lead in the first period, surging ahead on a 12-2 run in the game's first six minutes. By the end of the first quarter, they had extended that lead to 13 with a 22-9 advantage. In the second quarter, ISU was plagued by missed shots and turnovers that contributed to an 18-8 second-quarter Wolves run, cutting ISU's 13-point lead to three heading into the half, 30-27. 

Following the break, ISU immediately began to establish its game down low. After scoring just six points in the paint in the first half, the Bengals scored 34 of their 43 second-half points in the key. They shot nearly 20 percent higher in the second half and went on a scoring spree in the fourth to extend their lead to 18 with 1:11 left in the game.

Junior guard Brooke Blair was key to the second half attack, scoring 12 of her 14 points in the third and fourth quarters to go along with three assists. Senior guard Apiphany Woods led the Bengals in scoring with 17, eight of which came after the break.

Senior forward Anna Policicchio, sophomore forward Lindsay Brown and sophomore guard Juliet Jones all had a solid night on the boards, combining for 25 of the Bengals 45 rebounds. 

Overall, the Bengals outscored Western Oregon in three of the four periods of play, claiming the first and the fourth periods by double digits. The Bengals never trailed in the game and closed their lone exhibition contest with a 73-56 victory.