Game Notes
POCATELLO, Idaho – Idaho State women's basketball is traveling to California this week to take on the Sacramento State Hornets for the second time this season. The Thursday-night game will start an hour later than most ISU games due to the change in time zone with an 8:05 p.m. (MT) tip-off.
How To Follow
The contest will be streamed on
Watch Big Sky TV and
Pluto TV channel 233.
Mark Liptak will provide play-by-play commentary on KISU 91.1 FM and
Stretch Internet with pregame coverage beginning 20 minutes before the tip. Live stats will also be
available here.
Scouting Sacramento State
Overall: 7-9 | BSC: 3-5 | Home: 4-4 | Away: 1-4 | Neutral: 2-1 | Streak: W1
Sacramento State opened Big Sky play with four consecutive losses, but has since won three of its last four games. The Hornets split games on the road last week with a 104-66 loss to Idaho and a 73-70 win over Eastern Washington. They are currently 4-4 at home and 2-2 in the The Nest during conference play.
Kennedy Nicholas and Hannah Friend have paced the Hornets this season. Nicholas leads the conference with a 48.6 field goal percentage and is averaging a double-double with 18.8 points and 12.1 rebounds per game while imposing her will on defense with 31 blocks and 23 steals. She tallied double-doubles in both games last week with 18 points and 19 rebounds against Idaho and 17 points and 10 rebounds against EWU.
Friend leads the team with 18.8 points per contest and 27 steals. She is second on the team with 7.8 rebounds per game and 19 blocks.
Tiara Scott is another multi-dimensional threat for the Hornets and leads the conference in assist to turnover ratio. She is averaging 9.9 points per contest and leads the squad with 71 assists. She also has 23 steals. In all, Sacramento State has seven players averaging at least 4.3 points per game.
Sacramento State is a strong defensive team that leads the conference in steals per game with 10.4. SAC is also second in the BSC with 4.6 blocks per game. The team crashes the boards hard as well. SAC is No. 11 in offensive rebounds per game with 17 and No. 28 with 42.75 rebounds per game.
The Hornets have shot 36.0 percent from the field and 26.1 percent from three-point range this season. Meanwhile, their opponents are scoring 84.3 points per game while boasting a 43.7 field goal percentage and 30.5 three-point field goal percentage.
Sacramento State is coached by Bunky Harkleroad who is in his sixth season at the head of the program. He carries a 74-97 record with the Hornets.
Team Averages
|
Points |
Rebounds |
Assists |
Steals |
Blocks |
Turnovers |
| ISU Overall |
64.8 |
35.3 |
14.8 |
6.7 |
3.9 |
14.9 |
| SAC Overall |
72.8 |
42.8 |
13.4 |
10.4 |
4.6 |
17.3 |
| ISU Big Sky |
66.0 |
37.1 |
14.1 |
7.8 |
5.2 |
13.0 |
| SAC Big Sky |
66.5 |
39.1 |
12.5 |
9.3 |
5.3 |
16.0 |
All-Time Series
Overall: 39-7 | Home: 20-1 | Away: 16-5 | Neutral: 1-1 | Streak: ISU W4
Last Meeting: January 12, 2019 - ISU won 73-43 in Pocatello
Idaho State extended its winning streak to four against Sacramento State in the first meeting of the season. ISU has won each of the last four contests by at least 12 points. The Bengals set season highs in rebounds (50) and blocks (10) as they rolled to a 73-43 victory in front of the home crowd.
-
Sai Tapasa scored 22 points and added seven rebounds in the first meeting.
Grace Kenyon was the only other ISU player in double figures with 15 points and nine rebounds. All 10 ISU players to appear in the game made at least one field goal.
The Bengals are looking for their 40th victory in just 47 meetings and are 16-5 when playing the Hornets on the road.
Idaho State Bengals
Overall: 12-6 | BSC: 7-2 | Home: 7-1 | Away: 4-4 | Neutral: 1-1 | Streak: W2
Idaho State picked up two more wins inside Reed Gym last week, bringing the team's home record to 7-1 this season. The Bengals are looking to bring their record on the road above .500 once again during the late-night game in Sacramento, Calif.
-The Bengals limited the two Montana universities to a combined 77 points last week in dominant defensive performances. Kenyon tallied her second double-double in as many games with 19 points and 11 rebounds in the 61-43 win over Montana State.
Callie Bourne tallied double-digit rebounds for the first time in her career and ISU forced a season-high 23 turnovers.
-The trio of Kenyon, Bourne and
Saylair Grandon 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, 31.9 percent from three and 65.1 percent from the free-throw line. Opponents have shot 32.9 percent against the Bengals while averaging 55.2 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 183-148 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. 29, 2019)
As a team, Idaho State ranks:
-No. 80 in assist to turnover ratio at 0.99 (No. 4 BSC)
-No. 87 in assists per game with 14.8 (No. 3 BSC)
-No. 58 in fewest turnovers with 269 (No. 3 BSC)
-No. 47 in field-goal percentage at 43.8 (No. 2 BSC)
-No. 48 in field-goal percentage defense at 36.5 (No. 2 BSC)
-No. 76 in scoring defense at 59.7 (No. 2 BSC)
-No. 95 in turnovers per game with 14.9 (No. 2 BSC)
-No. 87 in win-loss percentage at 66.7 (No. 3 BSC).
Kenyon is the second-most efficient shooter in the Big Sky Conference. The redshirt senior has compiled a 48.2 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 nine games. Tapasa leads all shooters in conference play with a 54.4 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 26.4 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 95 percent of ISU's points this season. The starting five's contribution is 87 percent through nine 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 both field goal percentage and field goal percentage defense at 43.8 and 36.5 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 (24), blocks (18), points per game (14.2) and rebounds per game (6.9). Grandon leads the team in assists (58) and is second in steals (23), points per game (13.1) and rebounds per game (5.9).
Downtown Sharpshooter
Ors is currently the second-most accurate three-point shooter in Idaho State history. She has a career 41.4 three-point field goal percentage and ranks ninth in school history for three-pointers made with 115.
Dual Threat Down Low
Tapasa is averaging 9.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game this season. She has been solid from the floor with a 48.0 field goal percentage and even better from the free throw line with an 82.8 percent conversion rate.
Streaking
Wins are not the only thing Idaho State is stringing together this season.
Kenyon has:
63 consecutive starts
Scored in 66 consecutive games.
Grandon has:
50 consecutive starts
44 consecutive games with at least one assist
Recorded at least one made field goal in 22 consecutive games
Scored in 55 consecutive games
Bourne has an assist in 16 straight games.
Tapasa has:
35 consecutive starts
Secured a rebound in every contest this season.
The team has:
Recorded at least one block in 25 straight games
Double-digit assists in 15 of 18 games.
In The Record Books
Kenyon has made several leaps into the record books. She currently ranks: ninth in blocks; eighth in points and double-doubles; seventh in free throws made and assists; sixth in rebounds, fifth in field goals made; and is tied for first in triple-doubles.
Ors holds the No. 9 spot in three pointers made with 115 and is the second-most accurate 3-point shooter in ISU history. Meanwhile, Grandon ranks ninth in 3-point percentage at 37.5 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 one of four 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 floor in an 80-68 win over Utah Valley to set a program record for field goal percentage.
The Bengals made history again on Jan. 24 against the Montana Grizzlies. ISU held UM to 34 points which is an all-time opponent low against a Division I squad.
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.
