Game Notes
POCATELLO, Idaho – Two of the Big Sky Conference's top teams clash Saturday afternoon when Idaho State women's basketball takes the court with Portland State. The contest, hosted in the recently finished Viking Pavilion in Portland, Ore., will tip-off at 3:05 p.m. (MT).
How To Follow
Saturday's game will be streamed on
Watch Big Sky TV and
Pluto TV channel 232.
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 Portland State
Overall: 15-3 | BSC: 7-2 | Home: 11-1 | Away: 4-2 | Streak: W1
Two winning streaks of six or more games have brought Portland State to a 15-3 overall record. PSU has thrived in the Viking Pavilion, winning 11 of its 12 home contests and posting a perfect 5-0 record there during conference play.
After losing 79-63 to Northern Colorado to open conference play, the Vikings won six straight Big Sky games. Their streak was snapped by Idaho in a two-point loss last week, but the team rebounded with a 65-38 win over Weber State Thursday night.
Portland State has a host of weapons with seven players averaging five or more points. Sidney Rielly leads the team with 14.7 points per contest, and Ashley Bolston and Kylie Jimenez trail close behind with 13.3 points and 12.8 points per game respectively. Bolston also pulls down 5.9 rebounds per game and has combined with Jiminez for 99 steals this season.
Courtney West is just shy of the double-figures mark with 9.9 points per game and leads the team in rebounding (6.9 per game) and blocks (51). West is also one of two PSU players shooting better than 50 percent with a 54.0 field goal percentage.
The Vikings have a high-scoring offense that averages 72.7 points per game with a conference-leading +14.6 scoring differential. They hold the conference lead in many of the major offensive and defensive categories including scoring defense at 59.4 points per game.
Portland State entered the week as the only team in the Big Sky with a better field goal percentage (43.7) and field goal percentage defense (33.5) than Idaho State.
Portland State is coached by Lynn Kennedy who is in his fourth season at the helm of the program. The team he inherited in 2015-16 finished 4-26 but has improved each season. Last year the Vikings were 19-13. PSU has a 53-59 record under Kennedy.
Team Averages
|
Points |
Rebounds |
Assists |
Steals |
Blocks |
Turnovers |
| ISU Overall |
64.4 |
35.5 |
14.9 |
6.6 |
3.9 |
15.4 |
| PSU Overall |
72.7 |
40.3 |
18.7 |
10.3 |
5.8 |
15.1 |
| ISU Big Sky |
65.0 |
37.3 |
14.5 |
7.5 |
5.1 |
14.1 |
| PSU Big Sky |
69.7 |
38.4 |
16.9 |
8.2 |
6.6 |
13.0 |
All-Time Series
Overall: 35-20 | Home: 20-6 | Away: 12-13 | Neutral: 3-1 | Streak: ISU W14
Last Meeting: February 17, 2018 - ISU won 72-64 in Pocatello
These two squads were nearly even in 2011, but since then, Idaho State has sprung to a 35-20 advantage in the all-time series with an impressive 14-consecutive wins. The Bengals have a chance to even the series on the road at 13 wins apiece. The last time ISU lost to PSU was on Jan. 17, 2011.
Idaho State Bengals
Overall: 13-6 | BSC: 8-2 | Home: 7-1 | Away: 5-4 | Neutral: 1-1 | Streak: W3
Idaho State put the bookend on January with a 56-42 win over Sacramento State. The Bengals finished 7-1 through the first month of 2019 and are currently on a three-game winning streak.
-The Bengals remained firm on defense in the win over SAC, limiting their opponent to a 23.7 field goal percentage and 2-25 shooting from behind the arc.
Grace Kenyon led the team with 17 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and a block.
Montana Oltrogge and
Delaney Moore provided 20 points and 11 rebounds off the bench.
-In conference play, Idaho State is shooting 44.2 percent from the floor, 34.1 percent from three and 63.6 percent from the free-throw line. Opponents have shot 31.9 percent against the Bengals while averaging 53.9 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. 30, 2019)
As a team, Idaho State ranks:
-No. 82 in assist to turnover ratio at 0.99 (No. 4 BSC)
-No. 87 in assists per game with 14.8 (No. 3 BSC)
-No. 98 in blocked shots per game with 3.9 (No. 3 BSC)
-No. 57 in fewest turnovers with 269 (No. 3 BSC)
-No. 47 in field-goal percentage at 43.8 (No. 2 BSC)
-No. 49 in field-goal percentage defense at 36.5 (No. 2 BSC)
-No. 77 in scoring defense at 59.7 (No. 2 BSC)
-No. 97 in turnovers per game with 14.9 (No. 2 BSC)
-No. 89 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 11 players to appear in Big Sky play are shooting below 40 percent through 10 games.
Sai Tapasa leads all shooters in conference play with a 54.1 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 26.3 minutes. Kenyon,
Saylair Grandon,
Estefania Ors and
Madison Hinrichs are all playing more than 30 minutes per contest and
Callie Bourne averages 29.9 minutes.
-The six players with multiple starts have scored 94 percent of ISU's points this season. The starting five's contribution is 85 percent through 10 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 43.9 and 35.8 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 (19), points per game (14.3) and rebounds per game (7.0). Grandon leads the team in assists (59) and is second in steals (23), points per game (12.7) and rebounds per game (5.7).
Downtown Sharpshooter
Ors is currently the second-most accurate three-point shooter in Idaho State history. She has a career 41.1 three-point field goal percentage and ranks ninth in school history for three-pointers made with 116.
Dual Threat Down Low
Tapasa is averaging 9.1 points and 5.4 rebounds per game this season. She has been solid from the floor with a 48.1 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:
64 consecutive starts
Scored in 67 consecutive games.
Grandon has:
51 consecutive starts
45 consecutive games with at least one assist
Recorded at least one made field goal in 23 consecutive games
Scored in 56 consecutive games
Bourne has an assist in 17 straight games.
Tapasa has:
36 consecutive starts
Secured a rebound in every contest this season.
The team has:
Recorded at least one block in 26 straight games
Double-digit assists in 16 of 19 games.
In The Record Books (Idaho State Top-10)
Kenyon has made several leaps into the record books. She currently ranks: ninth in games played; eighth in blocks and double-doubles; seventh in free throws made and points; sixth in assists; fifth in field goals made and rebounds; and is tied for first in triple-doubles.
Ors holds the No. 9 spot in three pointers made with 116 and is the second-most accurate 3-point shooter in ISU history. 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 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.
