Women's Basketball Faces Weber State Thursday Night

Game Notes | Big Sky Notes | Watch | Listen | Live Stats
 
POCATELLO, Idaho – Idaho State women's basketball looks to continue its best start to conference play in six years with games against Weber State and Sacramento State this weekend. The Bengals will travel to Ogden, Utah to play the Wildcats at 7 p.m. Thursday night before hosting the Hornets in Reed Gym at 2 p.m. Saturday.
 
How To Follow
Thursday's game will be streamed on Watch Big Sky TV and Pluto TV channel 235. Mark Liptak will provide play-by-play coverage on KISU 91.1 FM and Stretch Internet with pregame coverage beginning 20 minutes before the tip. Live stats will be provided by Weber State and can be found here.
 
Scouting Weber State
Overall: 3-11 | BSC: 0-4 | Home: 2-4 | Away: 1-6 | Neutral: 0-1 | Streak: L8
Weber State nearly ended its losing streak in Cedar City, Utah last weekend, but fell 84-79 to the Thunderbirds in overtime. The Wildcats have lost eight straight and are still looking for their first win in conference play.
 
-Weber State looks to limit opposing teams' opportunities by crashing the boards. WSU leads the conference in total rebounds and is No. 81 in rebounds per game with 40.9. Weber State is also the 44th best free throw shooting team in the nation with a 74.5 percent conversion rate and shoots 21.7 three pointers per contest.
 
-Senior Jaiamoni Welch-Coleman has been a catalyst for the Weber State offense. The WSU guard leads the conference in assists with 75 and is fourth in points per game with 17.7 while shooting 44.2 percent from the floor. She has also hassled opposing offenses with 1.86 steals per contest.
 
-Kayla Watkins and Emily Drake are averaging double figures with 13.8 and 12.7 points per game respectively. Watkins is second on the team in rebounds with 7.8 per game and has tallied 13 blocks and 10 steals. Dominique Williams leads the team in rebounding with 8.9 boards per contest.
 
-Weber State has shot 37.3 percent from the field, 27.3 percent from the arc and 74.5 percent from the free-throw line. The Wildcats average 63.5 points, 40.9 rebounds, 11.6 assists, 6.1 steals, 2.7 blocks and 15.6 turnovers per game. Opponents have scored 69.4 points per game and hold a 40.2 field goal percentage against WSU.
 
-Weber State is led by first-year Head Coach Velaida Harris.
 
All-Time Series
Overall: 38-48 | Home: 20-20 | Away: 15-27 | Neutral: 3-1 | Streak: ISU W1
Last Meeting: Quarterfinals of the BSC Championship Tournament, Reno, NV. ISU won 113-109 in OT
Weber State holds a 10-game lead in the all-time series thanks to a strong advantage when hosting Idaho State. The teams are even when playing in Pocatello, but the Wildcats hold a dominant 27-15 edge when the teams meet in Ogden, Utah.
 
-The last meeting between these two squads was an instant classic. The Bengals overcame a 25-point, third-quarter deficit to top the Wildcats in overtime during the Big Sky Conference Tournament. It was the highest scoring game in both Idaho State and BSC tournament history.  
 
Idaho State Bengals
Overall: 8-5 | BSC: 3-1 | Home: 4-1 | Away: 3-3 | Neutral: 1-1 | Streak: W3
 
Team Averages
Idaho State is averaging 65.9 points, 34.1 rebounds, 14.8 assists, 5.8 steals, 3.3 blocks and 15.6 turnovers per game. The Bengals have shot 44.8 percent from the floor, 32.2 percent from three and 68.6 percent from the free-throw line. Opponents have shot 39.3 percent against them while scoring 64.4 points on average.
 
-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 179-147 overall record. He has led the team to two postseason tournament appearances: one NCAA tournament berth and one WNIT tournament appearance.
 
National Ranks
As a team, Idaho State ranks:
-No. 100 in assist to turnover ratio at 0.95 (No. 4 BSC)
-No. 97 in assists per game with 14.8 (No. 3 BSC)
-No. 93 in fewest turnovers with 203 (No. 7 BSC)
-No. 33 in field-goal percentage at 44.8 (No. 1 BSC).
 
Individually, Grace Kenyon is No. 76 in field-goal percentage at 50.7. Her percentage is the second best in the Big Sky Conference. Madison Hinrichs and Delaney Moore have not met the minimum criteria for shot attempts.
 
Hot Shooting
The Bengals are shooting 44.8 percent from the floor this season with nine players shooting 40 percent or better. Moore leads all players with a 62.2 field goal percentage.
 
Starting Five
Idaho State's starting five has carried a heavy load this season. Sai Tapasa is the only player with multiple starts averaging less than 28 minutes of play per game at 26.2. Kenyon, Saylair Grandon and Estefania Ors are all playing more than 30 minutes per contest.
 
-The six players with multiple starts have scored 93 percent of ISU's points this season. The starting five's contribution is 88 percent through four conference games with Kenyon contributing 29 percent herself.
 
Going Out With A Bang
The senior duo of Kenyon and Grandon holds the lead in nearly every statistical category. Kenyon leads ISU in steals (15), blocks (13), points per game (14.7) and rebounds per game (6.4). Grandon leads the team in assists (44), is tied for the lead in steals (15), and is second in points per game (12.3) and rebounds per game (5.5).
 
Downtown Sharpshooter
Ors is on pace to be the most accurate three-point shooter in Idaho State history. She has a career 43.1 three-point field goal percentage and ranks No. 10 in school history for three-pointers made with 107. This season she is shooting 40.4 percent from downtown.
 
Dual Threat Down Low
Tapasa has averaged 8.9 points and 5.2 rebounds per game this season. She has been solid from the floor with a 44.9 field goal percentage and even better from the free throw line with an 80.0 percent conversion rate.
 
Streaking
Wins are not the only thing Idaho State is stringing together this season.
 
-Kenyon has:
58 consecutive starts
Scored in 61 consecutive games.
 
-Grandon has:
45 consecutive starts
39 consecutive games with at least one assist
Recorded at least one made field goal in 17 consecutive games
Scored in 50 consecutive games
Scored double-digit points in 10 of the last 13 games.
 
-Callie Bourne has an assist in 11 straight games.
 
-Tapasa has:
30 consecutive starts
Secured a rebound in every contest this season.
 
-Moore has scored and tallied a rebound in every game this season.
 
-The team has:
Recorded at least one block in 20 straight games
Double-digit assists in 11 of 13 games
Shot 50 percent or better from the field in three-straight games.
 
In The Record Books
Kenyon has made several leaps into the record books. She currently ranks: 10th in assists and double-doubles; ninth in points, free throws made and blocks; and eighth in rebounds and field goals made.
 
-Ors made the leap to the No. 10 spot in three pointers made with 107. She is also the most accurate 3-point shooter in ISU history at 43.1 percent. Meanwhile, Grandon ranks ninth in 3-point percentage at 37.4 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. Grandon is the reigning player of the week and won the award for the first time on Dec. 11, 2018.
 
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.
 
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 3-1 start to conference play is the program's best since the 2011-12 season. That year, the Bengals went on to win the Big Sky Championship.