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POCATELLO, Idaho – The Idaho State women's basketball team returns home this week for its first-ever Field Trip game Thursday, Nov. 16 at 11 a.m. against College of Idaho at Reed Gym. The Bengals are expecting over 900 local elementary and middle school students to attend Thursday's game.
BENGALS PREVIEW
· After two games, the Bengals are averaging 76.5 points per game shooting 51 percent from the floor and 48.7 percent from three. ISU averages 46.5 rebounds per game with a +15.0 rebounding margin to go along with six steals per game and 2.5 blocks per game.
· Five players average double-figures for Idaho State, led by senior guard
Brooke Blair with 23.0 points per game. Sophomore guard Estefania Ors averages 14.0 points per game while junior guards
Saylair Grandon and
Grace Kenyon along with sophomore forward
Sai Tapasa all average 10.0 points per contest.
· Tapasa also averages a team-high 11.0 rebounds per game to average a double-double.
· Idaho State returns five letter winners and two starters from last season's Big Sky Conference tournament championship team. The Bengals finished with a 19-14 overall record, including an 10-8 mark in conference play, good for sixth. The Bengals advanced to the Big Sky Conference Tournament championship game for the second-straight year but fell to No. 1 Montana State 62-56.
· The Bengals return their top three scorers from a season ago:
Grace Kenyon (10.8 ppg),
Saylair Grandon (10.8 ppg) and Estefania Ors (9.5 ppg). Idaho State also welcomes
Brooke Blair back to the lineup after sitting out last season with an injury. During the 2015-16 season, Blair ranked second on the squad in scoring with 12.4 points per game. Idaho State also returns nearly 50 percent of its rebounding core including last season's leading rebounder,
Grace Kenyon (6.8 rpg).
· This season, the Bengals were picked to finish eighth in the Big Sky Coaches' Preseason Poll and seventh by the media.
· Head Coach
Seton Sobolewski is in his 10th season with the program and carries a 152-131 overall record (.537) and has led the team to two postseason tournament appearances: one NCAA tournament berth and one WNIT tournament appearance.
SCOUTING OPPONENT: COLLEGE OF IDAHO
· College of Idaho is 0-3 to start the 2017-18 season with losses against Carroll, Montana Tech and Lewis-Clark State.
· The Yotes have struggled to score so far this season, averaging just 44.7 points per game shooting 31.2 percent from the floor. College of Idaho has also struggled to stop its opponents, giving up an average of 70.3 points per contest.
· The Yotes are led by Alyssa Case with an even 15.0 points per game shooting 44.2 percent from the floor. Case also leads College of Idaho in rebounding with 6.3 per game.
· This season, College of Idaho was picked to finish seventh in the NAIA Cascade Collegiate Conference.
· College of Idaho is led by Head Coach Mark Owen who is in his fourth season with the women's basketball program.
· SERIES REVIEW: Idaho State leads the series 2-0. In the last meeting, Idaho State defeated the Yotes 81-48 on Dec. 29, 2014 in Pocatello.
BENGAL BITES
BLAIR WITH THE HOT HAND
Senior guard
Brooke Blair averaged 23.0 points per game shooting 64 percent from the floor and 64.3 percent from three to open the 2017-18 season. She began with a 16-point performance at Seattle on Nov. 10, shooting 40 percent from the floor and 60 percent from three to go along with three rebounds and four assists. On Nov. 12 against No. 25 Washington, Blair exploded for a career-high 30 points off 12-of-15 from the floor including 6-of-9 from three. She added three boards, two assists and one steal in the historic win.
OVERPOWERING THE POWER 5
For the second-straight season, Idaho State has defeated a Power 5 conference opponent, and Sunday's 79-59 win over No. 25 Washington was the first time in school history that the Bengals have defeated a ranked opponent. Washington was ranked No. 25 in the opening USA Today Coaches Poll and was receiving votes in the AP Top 25 Poll. Last season, Idaho State defeated Wisconsin out of the Big Ten 42-35 on Dec. 6, 2016.
HOT START
Idaho State defeated both Seattle and No. 25 Washington to open regular-season play, and it's the first time since the 2013-14 season that the Bengals have started the season with two straight wins. A win No. 16 against College of Idaho would give ISU its best start since the 1997-98 season which saw the Bengals start the season 5-0.
FOLLOW THE ACTION LIVE
Thursday's game will be broadcast live on KISU 91.1 FM with the pregame show with
Mark Liptak beginning at 10:40 a.m. Fans are also able to watch the game live by clicking
here or listen live on line by clicking
here. Fans can also follow live stats
here.
For information on parking the day of the game, click
here.
