Women's Basketball Gears Up for First Conference Road Trip

Game Notes | Watch Live | Listen Live | Live Stats

POCATELLO, Idaho – The Idaho State women's basketball team heads to Greeley, Colo. to face the Bears of Northern Colorado on Jan. 7 in its first of two conference games this week. The Bengals are searching for their first conference win after dropping a 61-46 decision at home Jan. 2 against visiting Weber State in their Big Sky Conference opener.

SCOUTING NORTHERN COLORADO
Northern Colorado carries a 5-7 overall record with a 0-2 record in conference. The Bears lost at EWU 59-55 and at Idaho 66-56 last weekend for its first 0-2 start in conference since the 2013-14 season. UNC has not started 0-3 in BSC play since the 2006-07 season.

Northern Colorado was picked to finish fourth by coaches and seventh by media in this season's Big Sky Conference preseason polls. The Bears lost two All-Big Sky First Team performers in D'shara Strange and Stephanie Lee from last season's squad that finished 22-13, including a 12-6 mark in conference play for a third-place finihs, and advanced to the third round of the WNIT.

Currently, the Bears are averaging 63.4 points and 32.6 rebounds per game while shooting 39.4 percent from the floor. Junior forward Kourteney Zadina leads UNC in scoring at 10.1 points per game, while sophomore point guard Savannah Scott and sophomore guard Kianna Williams lead on the boards with 4.3 per contest.

Northern Colorado is coached by Head Coach Kamie Ethridge who is in her second season at the helm of the program and carries a 27-20 overall record.

NOTABLES

1. Idaho State carries a 16-4 overall record against the Bears. The Bengals have won six of the last 10 but have lost three of the last five. ISU Head Coach Seton Sobolewski is 10-4 all-time against Northern Colorado. ISU's last two wins over UNC have been by less than 10 points.
2. Currently, Woods, Policicchio and Blair all rank in the top 20 in the conference in scoring, with Woods tied for ninth, Policicchio in11th and Blair 17th. Policicchio and Newton are tied for 15th in rebounding at 6.3 per contest, and Policicchio is ranked in the top 10 in field goal percentage at 50.7 percent, good for seventh. Woods is tied for ninth in assists with 3.2 per contest, and Policicchio ranks second in blocked shots with 2.4. Policicchio also ranks 40th nationally with 29 total blocks this season.
3. As a team, the Bengals lead the conference in field goal percentage at 42.3 percent; Northern Colorado ranks seventh at 39.4 percent. The Bengals are also ranked in the top five in field goal percentage defense, coming in at number four forcing opponents to shoot just 37.3 percent. Conversely, UNC ranks 10th at 42.1 percent.