Big Sky Conference Play Begins Saturday at Weber State

Notes | Audio | Video | Live Stats

POCATELLO, Idaho- The Idaho State men's basketball team plays its final game of the 2017 year on Saturday, Dec. 30 at 7 p.m. at Weber State. It is the Big Sky Conference opener for both schools. Jerry Miller will call the action live on 102.5 KMGI. Live stats, audio and video are available through isubengals.com. Eleven Sports will also broadcast the game live on television.

Scouting Weber State
Weber State is 7-5 heading into Big Sky Conference play.  Jerrick Harding leads the Wildcat scoring with an average of 20.7 points a game. He is shooting .565 percent from the field and .457 percent from the three-point line. Brekkott Chapman is scoring 14, Ryan Richardson 13.1 and Zach Braxton is scoring 11.4 points and averaging seven rebounds a game.  

As a team Weber State is scoring 78.3 points a game and giving up 66.7 points. The Wildcats are shooting .514 percent from the floor, .410 percent from the three-point line and .754 percent from the free throw line. Weber State averages 32 rebounds, 16.1 assists, 11.8 turnovers and 6.3 steals a game. The Weber State defense is only allowing opponents to shoot .414 percent from the field and 30.5 percent from the three-point line.

Series vs. Weber State
Weber State (50-81)
37-26 Home, 10-51 Away, 3-4 Neutral
Here is a look at results from the last 20 meetings between the two schools.
1/27/2017     A     L     96-74    
1/25/2017     H     L     85-73    
1/23/2016     H     W     69-68     
1/2/2016         A     L     77-56     
2/28/2015     A     L     61-57     
2/7/2015         H     L     70-63     
2/17/2014     H     W            78-75     OT
1/20/2014     A     L     65-59     
2/11/2013     A     L     56-40     
1/14/2013     H     L     70-54     
1/28/2012     H     W     64-62     
12/29/2011     A     L     64-78     
2/22/2011     H     L     39-63
1/15/11         A     L     67-71
2/20/2010     A     L     89-64
1/16/2010     H     L              95-93     OT
2008-09         A     L     61-75
2008-09         H     L     67-76     OT
2007-08         H     W     63-59
2007-08         A     L     57-59

NCAA Stats
- Geno Luzcando is 11th in the country in steals per game at 2.64 and he ranks 18th in total steals with 29.

Did You Know
- This is fourth straight year ISU has opened Big Sky Conference play on the road and it is the second time in three years they have opened league play at Weber State.
- The last time ISU won a conference opener was an 87-76 victory over Portland State in Pocatello on Jan. 2, 2014.
- The last time ISU won a conference opener on the road was 76-65 at Northern Colorado on Jan. 3, 2008. ISU has opened league play on the road seven times since the 2007-08 season.
- Geno Luzcando has scored in double figures in 49 games dating back to the start of his sophomore season.
- Since his sophomore year, Geno Luzcando has 46 games with two steals or more.
- Novak Topalovic has recorded five rebounds or more in 53 games since the 2015-16 season.
- Geno Luzcando has 184 career steals, ranking him second all-time in ISU history. Jim Rhode (1985-89) is first with 189.
- Geno Luzcando has 965 career points.
- Five nonconference home games are the most since
- ISU plays schools from the Pac 12, WAC, Mountain West, Big West, West Coast and the Horizon League during non conference play.
- Kyle Ingram returns for his final year after taking a  redshirt year last season. During the 2015-16 season Ingram played in all 31 games, starting 26 and he averaged six points and 4.6 rebounds a game while shooting 53 percent from the field.
- Under Bill Evans ISU is 7-0 when scoring 90 points or more.
- Four of ISU's five wins have come when four or more players have scored in double figures.

Ingram Finds The Open Man
Graduate-student Kyle Ingram, who is a 6-8 forward, has turned into one the best passers on the team as he has 26 assists to only seven turnovers. The only other Bengal who plays significant minutes who has a positive assist to turnover ratio is back up guard Sam Dowd, who has 13 assists to 11 turnovers.

Stutzman Plays
Idaho State's Jared Stutzman received word the morning of Nov. 22 that he would he immediately be eligible to play this season. He was not on the trip to San Jose but once he received word he was good to play he boarded a plan that morning and landed late afternoon where he played and scored 12 points in 15 minutes off the bench in the loss at San Jose State. In the following game against Seattle he earned his first start of the season and in his first home game vs. Bethesda he scored a game-high 20 points.

He  is averaging 12.9 points, shooting 55 percent from the floor, 75 percent from the free throw line and 51.6 percent from the three-point line.

Notes From the Road Win at CSUN
- This was the first win of the season for the Bengals when scoring less than 70 points.
- It was the first win this year when less than four players have scored in double figures.
- Eight rebounds by Balint Mocsan was a career-high.
- Idaho State is 2-0 when opponents are less than 60 points.
- Jared Stutzman's seven made free throws on eight attempts was a season-high.
- Geno Luzcando has 184 career steals, ranking him second all-time in ISU history. Jim Rhode (1985-89) is first with 189.
- This is the third time since the 2010-11 season ISU has had five nonconference wins. ISU was 5-7 in nonconference play in 2015-16 and the 2010-11 team had five nonconference wins.
- Kyle Ingram played a career-high 38 minutes.
- This was the first time this year and only the fourth time since Bill Evans has been head coach where the game has been tied at halftime. ISU is 1-3 when this happens.

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