ISU Travels to NAU on Thursday; SUU on Saturday

Men's Basketball | 2/15/2016 2:08:00 PM

Notes | Audio | Video | Stats

POCATELLO, Idaho- The Idaho State men's basketball team has won three straight games and seven of its last eight heading into this week's games at Northern Arizona and Southern Utah. ISU play at NAU on Thursday, Feb. 18 at 6:30 and then travels to Cedar City for a 7 p.m. tip vs. SUU on Saturday, Feb. 20. Jerry Miller will call the action live on 101.1 KEIR. To follow the game online with live stats, video and audio log onto isubengals.com.

Series vs. Northern Arizona
Idaho State leads the series 52-45. The two teams split the series last year with ISU winning, 80-66 in Pocatello and losing 72-69 in Flagstaff. Prior to last years win in Pocatello, Northern Arizona had won five straight meetings. In the last 12 meetings, NAU is 6-6 vs. ISU. In those 12 meetings only three games haves been decided by 10 points or more and eight games have been decided by six points or less. ISU beat NAU 86-66 in Pocatello on Jan. 30.

Scouting Northern Arizona
Northern Arizona is 4-20 and 2-11 in Big Sky Conference play. The Lumberjacks are 3-7 at home and averaging 69 points a game overall and 70.6 in conference games. NAU shoots 39.6 percent from the field and 41.8 percent in Big Sky games. The Lumberjacks shoot 68 percent from the free throw line and average 32.8 rebounds a game. Krisu Yanku leads NAU at 15 points and 5.6 rebounds a game overall and 16.5 points and 6.2 rebounds in Big Sky play. Ako Kaluna is averaging 11.2 points and 6.3 rebounds overall and 10.8 points and 5.4 rebounds in league play.

Series vs. Southern Utah
Southern Utah leads the series 15-10. ISU is 4-3 against the T-Birds in the last seven meetings. SUU swept ISU last year, winning 71-67 in Pocatello and Cedar City. ISU swept SUU during the 2013-14 season, winning 75-65 at SUU and 60-45 in Pocatello. The Bengals won 87-68 in Pocatello on Jan. 28.

Scouting SUU
SUU is 4-19 and 2-11 in Big Sky Conference play. Travon Langton leads the T-Birds in scoring at 11.5 points overall and 9.7 in Big Sky games. Trey Kennedy is scoring 11.9 points overall and 12.4 in conference games while James Mcgee is scoring 12 overall and 12.5 in conference games. Race Parsons is averaging 10.2 points and 4.6 rebounds in Big Sky games. SUU is averaging 69 points a game and giving up 83.1. SUU averages 29.6 rebounds and shoots .431 percent from the field. In conference play SUU is scoring 68.8 points and shooting .428 percent from the field.

Notes from the Win vs. Sacramento State
- Geno Luzcando's eight free throws was a career-high.
- This was only the sixth win under Bill Evans when shooting less than 40 percent.
-  Novak Topalovic tied his career-high in points with eight.

Bengal Bites
- Idaho State is 10-0 when shooting 45 percent or better from the field. ISU has shot better than 50 percent eight times, seven times coming in Big Sky Conference play.
- Idaho State is 6-0 this season when hitting 11 3-pointers or more in a game.
- In the last 10 seasons the most road games ISU has won is five in  2005-06. This year the Bengals have three.
- This year Geno Luzcando has scored in double figures in 14 of the last 16 games and in every game but four.
- The last time ISU had a winning record in conference was during the 2008-09 season. ISU was 9-7 in league.
- Prior to this season, ISU had 10 wins or more in a season five times in the last 10 years. ISU was 13-14 in 2005-06, 13-17 in 2006-07, 12-19 in 2007-08, 13-19 in 2008-09 and 11-18 in 2013-14.
- Ethan Telfair's 37 points vs. North Dakota ties for the most points scored by a Big Sky Conference player this year.
-  Geno Luzcando's two 10-10 games from the field is the best field goal percentage by a Big Sky player this year.
- Gary Chivichyan's 17 three-point attempts is the most by a Big Sky player.
- Ethan Telfair's six steals at Sacramento State is the second most by a Big Sky player this year.
- The Bengals are on pace to shoot more free throws then the 2014-15 team. This year;s team is 372-507 from the line and the 2014-15 team was 391-601. The 2013-14 team was 500-701.
- The Bengals have had six different players score 30 points or more in a game. Ethan Telfair has done it three times, Geno Luzcando twice and Ali Faruq-Bey once.
- Geno Luzcando has two steals or more in 16 games.
- Ethan Telfair has five assists or more in 18 games.
- Ethan Telfair has scored in double figures in 16 straight games and in every game but two.

Win Streaks
The Bengals won four straight games earlier this year when they won at Portland State and then swept a three-game home stand, beating Weber State, NAU and Southern Utah. It was the first four-game win streak since the 2011-12 season. ISU has currently won three straight games. The 2006-07  team won five straight games when it opened Big Sky Conference play 5-0.