Women's Basketball Takes on Montana State Saturday Afternoon

Game Notes

POCATELLO, Idaho – After a dominant win over Montana Thursday night, Idaho State women's basketball hosts Montana State tomorrow afternoon. The Bengals and Bobcats will tip-off at 2:05 p.m. in Reed Gym where the Bengals are 6-1 this season.
 
How To Follow
The contest will be streamed on Watch Big Sky TV and Pluto TV channel 243. Mark Liptak and Brad Bugger will provide play-by-play commentary on KISU 91.1 FM and Stretch Internet with pregame coverage beginning 25 minutes before the tip. Live stats will also be available here.
 
Scouting Montana State
Overall: 10-8 | BSC: 5-3 | Home: 5-3 | Away: 4-5 | Neutral: 1-0 | Streak: W1
The Bobcats enter Saturday's contest at 10-8 overall and 5-3 in conference play. They were just four baskets from being 7-1 in conference play with two-point losses at Portland State and against Eastern Washington. MSU has one of the better away records in the BSC at 4-5 and has not lost back-to-back games since the start of conference play.
 
-Montana State is led by Claire Lundberg who is the second-highest scorer in the Big Sky with 326 points. She averages 18.1 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. Lundberg has been an efficient scorer with a 45.6 field goal percentage, 42.3 three-point field goal percentage and 87.5 free throw percentage. The senior went 5-9 from downtown against Weber State in a 23-point effort Thursday night.
 
-Oliana Squires is the only other Bobcat averaging double figures with 11.2 points per game. Martha Kuderer is close behind with 9.4 points per game while averaging 5.4 rebounds. Blaire Braxton leads the team with 5.8 boards per game.
 
-Three MSU players reached double figures in Montana State's 66-59 win over Weber State. Three players had five or more rebounds and five tallied multiple steals. The Bobcats struggled in the first half but shot better than 40 percent from the field and three-point range in the third and fourth quarters to seal the win.
 
-The Bobcats have scored 66.2 points per game while shooting 39.8 percent from the floor this season. Opponents average 67.1 points and have shot 41.9 percent against MSU.
 
-Montana State is led by Head Coach Tricia Binford who carries a 222-189 record through 14 seasons with the Bobcats.
 
Team Averages
Both teams have improved significantly in almost every major category since the start of Big Sky play. A notable change for both squads has been the reduction in turnovers.

	Points	Rebounds	Assists	Steals	Blocks	Turnovers
ISU Overall	65.1	35.0	14.9	6.6	3.9	14.7
MSU Overall	66.2	37.4	13.9	7.6	2.2	15.2
ISU Big Sky	66.6	36.8	14.3	7.8	5.4	12.3
MSU Big Sky	71.1	40.6	15.8	8.1	2.3	12.8

 
All-Time Series
Overall: 36-44 | Home: 22-14 | Away: 12-26 | Neutral: 2-4 | Streak: MSU W3 
Last Meeting: February 28, 2018 - MSU won 61-60 in Pocatello
Montana State holds a slight edge in the all time series at 44-36. Both teams hold a strong advantage at home with ISU claiming 22 of the 36 matchups in Reed Gym. The Bengals have won eight of the last 12 meetings despite dropping the last three. The average margin of victory in the past six meetings is 4.2 points.
  
Idaho State Bengals
Overall: 11-6 | BSC: 6-2 | Home: 6-1 | Away: 4-4 | Neutral: 1-1 | Streak: W1
As the team has done for much of the year, Idaho State bounced back following a loss with a dominant win over Montana. The Bengals have not lost consecutive games since mid-November and are 6-1 at home this season.
 
-The trio of Grace Kenyon, Saylair Grandon and Callie Bourne nearly outscored Montana with 33 combined points after scoring 11 apiece. Both seniors tallied a double-double while Bourne's scoring effort tied her career high. The Bengal defense limited Montana to 34 points which is the lowest scoring output by a Division I opponent in program history.
 
-In conference play, Idaho State is shooting 44.1 percent from the floor, 32.4 percent from three and 64.6 percent from the free-throw line. Opponents have shot 34.1 percent against the Bengals while averaging 56.8 points per contest.
 
-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 182-148 overall record. He has led the team to two postseason tournament appearances: one NCAA tournament berth and one WNIT tournament appearance.
 
National Ranks (As of Jan. 22, 2019)
As a team, Idaho State ranks:
-No. 71 in assist to turnover ratio at 1.01 (No. 3 BSC)
-No. 83 in assists per game with 14.9 (No. 2 BSC)
-No. 99 in blocked shots per game with 3.9 (No. 3 BSC)
-No. 53 in fewest turnovers with 250 (No. 2 BSC)
-No. 49 in field-goal percentage at 43.8 (No. 2 BSC)
-No. 75 in field-goal percentage defense at 37.3 (No. 2 BSC)
-No. 94 in scoring defense at 60.6 (No. 2 BSC)
-No. 86 in turnovers per game with 14.7 (No. 2 BSC)
-No. 99 in win-loss percentage at 64.7 (No. 3 BSC).
 
Kenyon is the second-most efficient shooter in the Big Sky Conference. The redshirt senior has compiled a 47.6 field goal percentage this season.
 
Hot Shooting
Just two of Idaho State's 10 players to appear in Big Sky play are shooting below 40 percent through eight games. Sai Tapasa leads all shooters in conference play with a 56.3 field goal percentage.
 
Starting Five
Idaho State's starting five has carried a heavy load this season. Every player with multiple starts has averaged at least 27.2 minutes. Kenyon, Grandon, Estefania Ors and Madison Hinrichs are all playing more than 30 minutes per contest.
 
-The six players with multiple starts have scored 94 percent of ISU's points this season. The starting five's contribution is 86 percent through eight conference games.
 
Like A Well-Oiled Machine
Idaho State has been one of the most efficient teams in the Big Sky Conference this season. The Bengals rank second in field goal percentage and the field goal percentage defense in the conference at 43.8 and 37.3 percent respectively.  
 
Going Out With A Bang
Kenyon and Grandon, both seniors, hold the lead in nearly every statistical category. Kenyon leads ISU in steals (22), blocks (17), points per game (13.9) and rebounds per game (6.7). Grandon leads the team in assists (55) and is second in steals (19), points per game (13.3) and rebounds per game (6.1).
 
Downtown Sharpshooter
Ors is currently the second-most accurate three-point shooter in Idaho State history. She has a career 41.2 three-point field goal percentage and ranks ninth in school history for three-pointers made with 113.
 
Dual Threat Down Low
Tapasa is averaging 9.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game this season. She has been solid from the floor with a 48.6 field goal percentage and even better from the free throw line with an 81.5 percent conversion rate.
 
Streaking
Wins are not the only thing Idaho State is stringing together this season.
 
Kenyon has:
62 consecutive starts
Scored in 65 consecutive games.
 
Grandon has:
49 consecutive starts
43 consecutive games with at least one assist
Recorded at least one made field goal in 21 consecutive games
Scored in 54 consecutive games
 
Bourne has an assist in 15 straight games.
 
Tapasa has:
34 consecutive starts
Secured a rebound in every contest this season.
  
The team has:
Recorded at least one block in 24 straight games
Double-digit assists in 14 of 17 games.
 
In The Record Books
Kenyon has made several leaps into the record books. She currently ranks: ninth in blocks; eighth in points, free throws made, double-doubles and assists; seventh in field goals made and rebounds; and is tied for first in triple doubles with one.
 
Ors made is now holds the No. 9 spot in three pointers made with 113. She is also the second-most accurate 3-point shooter in ISU history at 41.2 percent. Meanwhile, Grandon ranks eighth in 3-point percentage at 37.8 percent.
 
Stellar Saylair
Grandon is the only ISU player to win the Big Sky Conference Ready Nutrition Player of the Week Award this year. She is also just one of three players to win it twice this season.
 
Bigger Than Idaho State
Kenyon is a name to know in the Big Sky Conference. The senior earned a spot on the Big Sky Preseason All-Conference Team earlier this season.
 
Just Like The Old Days
Idaho State did not need a three-pointer to defeat Northern Arizona on the road. It was the first time since Jan. 12, 2017 the Bengals failed to make a long ball. Ironically, the last win ISU had without a three-pointer was against Northern Arizona on Jan. 17, 2015.
 
Bengals Make School History
The 2018-19 team made program history on Dec. 6, 2018. The Bengals shot 66.0 percent from the field in an 80-68 win over Utah Valley to set a program record for field goal percentage.
 
Hot Start
ISU's 5-1 start to conference play was the program's best since the 2011-12 season. That year, the Bengals went on to win the Big Sky Championship.