Women's Basketball Returns to Reed Gym for Conference Opener

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POCATELLO, Idaho – Women's basketball returns to Reed Gym to open conference play three weeks after its most recent contest. Idaho State hosts Idaho in a Battle of the Domes clash with the tip set for 2:05 p.m. Saturday afternoon.
 
The Bengals also host Eastern Washington on New Year's Eve to wrap up the team's five-game homestand. Both games will be streamed on Watch Big Sky TV and Pluto TV Channel 243. Mark Liptak and Brad Bugger will also call the games live on KISU 91.1 FM and Stretch Internet.
 
Idaho State
Idaho State emerges from nonconference play with a 5-4 record and is on a three-game winning streak. All three of those games have been at home, giving ISU a perfect 3-0 record in Reed Gym.
 
-Saylair Grandon, Grace Kenyon and Estefania Ors are averaging double figures with 36.1 of ISU's 63.7 points per game. If the list is expanded to include ISU's other two starters, Sai Tapasa and Madison Hinrichs, it contains 84.8 percent of Idaho State's offensive output.
 
-Kenyon is one rebound shy of averaging six boards per game, and Grandon is close behind with 5.6. Tapasa also grabs five rebounds per contest.
 
-Kenyon leads the team in blocks with seven and ranks second in assists with 24. Grandon also leads the team in steals (12) and assists (31).
 
-With just eight players appearing against Pepperdine, several athletes saw their playing time climb. Grandon, Hinrichs and Ors all average more than 30 minutes per game. Kenyon is competing for 29 minutes per game while Tapasa and Bourne both spend more than 25 minutes on the court per contest. Delaney Moore and Montana Oltrogge are the only other two players averaging more than eight minutes of playing time.
 
-With dominant wins over Benedictine University at Mesa and Utah Valley, ISU has cut its scoring margin to -0.4. The team scores 63.7 points per game while allowing 64.1. Idaho State also averages 33.4 rebounds, 15.4 assists, 5.6 steals, 2.6 blocks and 16.9 turnovers per game.
 
-As a team, ISU has shot 43.4 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from behind the arc and 71.2 percent from the free-throw line. Opponents have shot 40.1 percent against Idaho State with a 37.2 percent conversion rate from three.
 
-The Bengals were picked to finish third in the Big Sky Coaches' Preseason Poll and fourth by the media.
 
-Head Coach Seton Sobolewski is in his 11th season with the program and carries a 176-146 overall record. He has led the team to two postseason tournament appearances: one NCAA tournament berth and one WNIT tournament appearance.
 
Nonconference Recap
Despite having one of the toughest nonconference slates in the nation, ISU battled its way to a 5-4 record. Idaho State leads all Big Sky Conference squads with the No. 59 spot in the NCAA's RPI rankings.
 
-After beginning the season with a win over Cal Baptist, the Bengals dropped three straight. Two of those losses came against Pac-12 opponents and the other came against the Gonzaga Bulldogs, a team that earned a national rank shortly after.
 
-Since then, ISU has won four of its last five games with its only loss coming against the ACC's Georgia Tech. The Bengals returned to Pocatello following an international trip for the Cancun Challenge and are in the midst of a three-game winning streak on their home court.
 
All-Time Series History
Overall: 14-28 | Home: 11-9 | Streak: ISU W3 
Last Meeting: 2/22 in Moscow, Idaho, ISU Wins 62-52
 
Idaho has a significant 28-14 edge in the series history, though the Bengals have recently made a dent with three consecutive wins against the Vandals. Last year the teams met just once with ISU picking up a 62-52 win on the road. All of the previous four contests have been decided by 12 points or less. 
 
Scouting Idaho
Idaho ended nonconference play with a 3-6 record while playing the majority of its games on the road. The Vandals were undefeated at home (2-0), but picked up just one win outside of Moscow, Idaho in seven attempts. An 88-51 loss to No. 21/21 Gonzaga on Dec. 20 capped a three-game losing streak for Idaho.
 
-The Vandals' advantage is ball security. Idaho has the second fewest turnovers (110) in the nation and the ninth fewest turnovers per game average (12.2). The Vandals are also No. 8 in three-point field goals made per game, leading them to the No. 99 ranking in scoring offense with 70.9 points per game.
 
-Mikayla Ferenz and Taylor Pierce have been shouldering the load for UI's offense. Ferenz, the conference leader, is averaging 21.4 points per game (No. 14 nationally) with Pierce adding 13.8 points per contest. No other player with multiple appearances is averaging more than 6.4 points per game.
 
-Natalie Klinker leads the team with 7.2 rebounds per contest and Ferenz trails closely with 6.0. Meanwhile, Isabelle Hadden has been doing her best to disrupt the paint for opponents with a team-leading 10 blocks and six steals.
 
-Ferenz and Pierce also lead the charge in playing time with 35.8 and 36.3 minutes per game respectively. Christopher (22.6) and Gina Marxen (27.6) are the only two others with more than 20 minutes per game, although six others are in double figures.
 
-Idaho is shooting 39.5 percent from the field and 34.1 percent from beyond the arc. Opponents hold a 46.4 field goal percentage when playing the Vandals. Idaho averages 70.9 points, 35.0 rebounds, 12.4 assists, 3.3 steals, 2.6 blocks and 12.2 turnovers per game.
 
-The Vandals are coached by Jon Newlee who carries a 265-238 overall record in 17 seasons.
 
Last Time Out
Idaho State collected wins over Utah Valley and Pepperdine the last time it took the hardwood.
 
-Tapasa and Grandon combined for 49 points in the 80-68 win over UVU with Tapasa posting a career-high 25 points. Grandon finished 8-10 with five of her shots landing from beyond the arc while tallying five rebounds, seven assists and three blocks.
 
-Kenyon was the only other Bengal in double figures with 10 points, though Hinrichs finished with nine points and a career-high eight assists.
 
-The Bengals set a program record in the win with a 66.0 field goal percentage. ISU was also 50 percent from three and didn't miss a free throw. They tallied a season-high 25 assists on 33 made field goals.
 
-The Bengals dominated much of the game against Pepperdine. They took a 7-0 lead early on and didn't surrender it until after the five-minute mark in the fourth quarter. The Waves were pushing up the court with the game tied when Grandon poked the ball away and found Kenyon underneath the basket for the game-winning bucket.
 
-Four of ISU's starters reached double figures with Kenyon leading the way at 18 points while adding five rebounds. Ors, Grandon and Tapasa followed with 14, 13 and 10 points respectively. Tapasa and Grandon led the team in rebounds with 13 between the two and all but two of ISU's eight players tallied an assist.
 
-Grandon was named Big Sky Conference Player of the Week on Dec. 11.