Bengals Host Idaho on Senior Night

Game Notes | Audio | Video | Live Stats

POCATELLO, Idaho- The Idaho State men's basketball closes out the 2014-15 season on Saturday, March 7, at 7 p.m. at ICCU Court in Holt Arena vs. in-state rival Idaho.  Jerry Miller and Brad Bugger will call the action live on 102.5 FM and 930 AM. To follow the game online log onto isubengals.com for live video, audio and stats.

Idaho leads the series 58-44. The Vandals  have won the last three meetings, winning in Moscow in January, beating ISU, 69-65, in Boise last year and 75-69 in Pocatello on Feb. 23, 2013. Prior to those three meetings, Idaho State won the previous five meetings from 2004-09.

Idaho is 13-15 and 8-9 in Big Sky Conference play. Connor Hill leads the Vandals in scoring at 16.0 points a game. He is scoring 17 in Big Sky Conference games. Idaho scores 76.9 points a game while opponents score 75.4. Mike Scott scores 14.5 points and Sekou Wiggs averages 12.0 to lead the Vandals.

King of the Three-Point Line
Chris Hansen became the ISU career 3-point leader vs. Northern Arizona. He now has made a school record 224 3-pointers on a record 585 attempts. David Schroeder held the previous record for 3-pointers made with 211 and Austin Kilpatrick held the previous mark for attempts with 510.

Hansen Among Big Sky Best from 3-point Line
Chris Hansen's 224 3-pointers ranks 13th all-time in the Big Sky Conference career record book.

Senior Week
This week are the final two home and regular season games for four Bengal seniors. Chris Hansen, Jeffrey Solarin, Ajak Magot and Nnamdi Ezenwa will all play their final game as a Bengal.
 
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 1,332 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.  Chris Hansen        2011-15    1332

Rebounding Machine
In two seasons, Jeffrey Solarin has established himself as one the best rebounders ever to wear the orange and black. He currently has 499 rebounds and is now in 10th place for most rebounds in a career in ISU history. Last year he averaged 8.5 rebounds a game. Through 29 games of the 2014-15 season he is averaging 9.0  boards a game. He had a season-high 15 rebounds vs. Weber State on Feb. 7. Solarin has eight rebounds or more in 32 of the 56 games he has appeared in as a Bengal. Solarin needs two rebounds to pass Logan Kinghorn to move into ninth place. Kinghorn played from 2004-08 and finished his career with 500 rebounds. Nate Green (1993-97) is in eighth place with 573 rebounds.

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 31.8 minutes a game, averaging 9.2 points, shooting .454 percent from the field and grabbing 4.8 rebounds a game. He had a career-high 18 points on Nov. 26 against UVU and nine rebounds in a loss to Montana.

Playing it Close
Since the start of the 2013-14 season, 30 of Idaho State's 41 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, vs. Weber State
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; at SUU, vs. SUU; at Weber State; vs. Eastern Washington
Losses by 3 points: vs. UVU, vs. South Dakota State, at NAU; vs. Sacramento State; ISU at Northern Colorado
Losses by 2 points: at Bakersfield, at NAU
Losses by 1 point: at Montana, vs. NAU

Here is a look where the Bengals rank in the conference stats for all- games played.
- Scoring 11th, 64.5
- Scoring Defense, 5th, 69.3
- Free throw percentage, 12th, 65.9
- Field goal percentage, 8th, 44.0
- Field goal percentage defense, 3rd .440
- 3-point field goal percentage, 11th, 34.7
- 3-point field goal percentage defense, 7th, 36.9
- Rebounding, 6th, 32.4
- Blocks, 9th, 2.6
- Assists, 12th, 11.1
- Steals, 2nd, 7.0
- Offensive Rebounds, 5th 10.1
- Defensive Rebounds, 10th, 22.3
- 3-pointers made per game, 12th, 4.8

Here is where the Bengals rank in the individual conference stats for all-games played.
- Chris Hansen, 3rd, scoring 17.6 points.
- Jeffrey Solarin, 2nd, rebounding,9.0
- Jeffrey Solarin, 9th, field goal percenrage 55.6
- Ben Wilson, 9th, assists, 3.5
- Chris Hansen, 3rd, free throw percentage, 83.6
- Chris Hansen, 9th, steals 1.3

- Nnamdi Ezenwa, 3-point field goal percentage, 6th, .433
- Chris Hansen 3-pointers made per game, 5th, 2.6|
- Jeffrey Solarin, Blocks, 10th, .9
- Ben Wilson, 6th, Assist to turnover ratio, 1.8
- Jeffrey Solarin, 1st, offensive rebounds, 3.7
- Jeffrey Solarin, 3rd defensive rebounds, 5.3
- Ben Wilson, 5th, Minutes Played, 34.6
- Chris Hansen, 9th, Minutes Played, 33.1

Team Conference Stats Only
- Scoring, 10th, 67.2
- Scoring defense, 7th, 73.0
- Free Throw Percentage, 10th, 68.7
- Field Goal Percentage, 7th, .462
- Field Goal Percentage defense, 9th, .463
- 3-point field goal percentage, 3rd .414
- 3-point field goal percentage defense, 8th, .412
- Rebounding, 10th, 31.1
- Blocks, 9th, 2.5
- Assists, 11th, 11.6
- Steals, 3rd, 6.8
- Offensive rebounds, 7th, 9.4
- Defensive rebounds, 10th, 21.7
- 3-pointers made per game, 12th, 4.8

Conference Only Individual Stats
- Chris Hansen, 3rd Scoring, 18.8 points
- Jeffrey Solarin, 2nd rebounding, 9.0 rebounds
- Ben Wilson, 10thm assists, 3.7
- Chris Hansen, 2nd, free throws, .856
- Geno Luzcando, 9th, steals, 1.3
- Chris Hansen, 3-point FG made, 5th, 2.7
- Jeffrey Solarin, 2nd, offensive rebounds, 3.6
- Jeffrey Solarin, 3rd defensive rebounds, 5.4
- Ben Wilson, 6th minutes played, 35.2
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