POCATELLO, Idaho – Idaho State hosts its White Out game against Weber State tomorrow afternoon in Reed Gym. The Wildcats enter the game at the bottom of the conference standings but were the second Big Sky team to topple Northern Colorado this year. The tip is set for 2:05 p.m.
Idaho State took another step towards clinching a Big Sky Conference Tournament bye with a dominant, 72-54 win over Portland State Thursday night. The win brings them within a half game of the conference lead which is currently held by Idaho.
There are two scenarios where the Bengals would secure a first-round bye. The team can focus solely on winning two of its final four games to lock up a top-four seed. The other remaining option requires some help. ISU would also secure a bye with just one win over its final four contests if Montana loses just one of its remaining six games.
White Out
Idaho State women's basketball wants to bring the winter look of the outdoors inside Reed Gym tomorrow afternoon. Fans are encouraged to wear white to White Out Weber State.
How to Follow
Saturday's game with be shown on
Watch Big Sky TV and
Pluto TV Channel 243.
Mark Liptak and former player Lindsay Brown will have the call on KISU 91.1 FM and
Stretch Internet with pregame starting 25 minutes before the tip. Live stats will also be
available here.
Scouting Weber State
Overall: 5-21 | BSC: 2-14 | Home: 3-10 | Away: 2-10 | Neutral: 0-1 | Streak: L4
Weber State is a young team that has been on the wrong side of some close contests this season. Half of its losses in conference play have been decided by 10 points or less. The Wildcats have just two upperclassmen on roster, Jaiamoni Welch-Coleman and Emily Drake; both are seniors.
Weber State has done exceedingly well in two statistical categories. The Wildcats rank second in the conference in turnovers per game with 14.3 and first in the BSC in rebounding. They have 1,020 rebounds this season. It is worth noting that WSU drops to fifth when looking at rebounds per game with 39.23.
Not surprisingly, senior leadership is guiding WSU through the season. Welch-Coleman tops all players with 16.8 points per game, 44 steals and 136 assists on the season. She also adds five rebounds per game.
Drake is second on the team in each of the aforementioned categories except rebounds. She generates 13.0 points per game and has collected 59 assists and 39 steals. She also contributes on the boards with 4.4 rebounds per game. The upperclassmen have a combined 78.4 free throw percentage.
Sophomore Kayla Watkins is the only other player averaging double figures for Weber State with 12.4 points per contest. She ranks second on the team in rebounding with 7.0 boards per game and has a team-leading 17 blocks. Dominique Williams is the team leader on the glass with 8.4 rebounds per game.
The starters have done the bulk of the work for the Wildcats. Four of the five are playing more than 30 minutes per game, led by Drake at 36.9 minutes on average.
Weber State has scored 61.2 points per game while shooting 37.0 percent from the field. Opponents have put 71.1 points per game on the board while shooting 41.5 percent from the floor.
Weber State is led by first-time Head Coach Velaida Harris.
Team Averages
|
Points |
Rebounds |
Assists |
Steals |
Blocks |
Turnovers |
| ISU Overall |
65.2 |
35.3 |
15.4 |
6.5 |
3.6 |
15.2 |
| WSU Overall |
61.3 |
39.2 |
11.2 |
6.3 |
2.2 |
14.2 |
| ISU Big Sky |
66.1 |
36.3 |
15.4 |
7.0 |
4.1 |
14.3 |
| WSU Big Sky |
61.2 |
39.1 |
10.3 |
6.4 |
2.1 |
13.8 |
All-Time Series
Overall: 39-48 | Home: 20-20 | Away: 16-27 | Neutral: 3-1 | Streak: ISU W2
Last Meeting: ISU won 70-57 in Ogden, Utah
Weber State has played Idaho State tough at home while taking advantage of its home court to build a 48-39 edge in the all-time series. A season ago, the Wildcats swept the Bengals in the regular season before allowing a massive ISU comeback in the Big Sky Conference Tournament. This year, Idaho State is looking to return the favor after topping Weber State 70-57 in Ogden, Utah.
Four ISU players reached double figures in the win with
Estefania Ors leading the way with 23 points.
Saylair Grandon followed with 18 points and five rebounds while
Grace Kenyon and
Sai Tapasa combined for 21 points and 18 boards.
Delaney Moore also had a productive night off the bench with six points, five rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals.
Weber State was led by Drake who tallied 22 points. Welch-Coleman netted 13 points and seven rebounds while adding six assists.
Idaho State Bengals
Overall: 17-8 | BSC: 12-4 | Home: 9-2 | Away: 7-5 | Neutral: 1-1 | Streak: W1
-A win tomorrow afternoon would give ISU a double-digit win total at home for the second time in three years. After playing the top of the conference Thursday, the Bengals host Weber State Saturday afternoon. ISU will look to carry momentum from its statement victory over PSU into its second to last home game.
-Idaho State and Portland State were deadlocked at halftime, but the second half was a completely different game. ISU shut down PSU, allowing just four field goals while limiting the Vikings to a 19.0 field goal percentage. Kenyon, Grandon, Ors, Tapasa and
Madison Hinrichs all reached double figures. Kenyon tallied 14 points and 12 rebounds for her sixth double-double of the season; she is just the sixth player in program history to record six or more in a single season.
-In conference play, Idaho State is shooting 45.0 percent from the floor, 37.3 percent from three and 64.7 percent from the free-throw line. Opponents have shot 33.5 percent against the Bengals while averaging 55.4 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 188-150 overall record. He has led the team to two postseason tournament appearances: one NCAA tournament berth and one WNIT tournament appearance.
What to Watch For
Kenyon became the 18th player in program history to reach 1,000 career points on Feb. 28, 2018. Now, two of her teammates are looking to follow in her footsteps. Grandon is just 19 points from the milestone and Ors, though only a junior, is 58 points away.
National Ranks (As of Feb. 19, 2019)
As a team, Idaho State ranks:
-No. 66 in assist to turnover ratio at 1.03 (No. 3 BSC)
-No. 74 in assists with 370 (No. 2 BSC)
-No. 60 in assists per game with 15.4 (No. 2 BSC)
-No. 90 in fewest turnovers with 358 (No. 6 BSC)
-No. 38 in field-goal percentage at 44.3 (No. 1 BSC)
-No. 28 in field-goal percentage defense at 36.0 (No. 2 BSC)
-No. 56 in scoring defense at 58.8 (No. 2 BSC)
-No. 93 in scoring margin at 6.2 (No. 2 BSC)
-No. 57 in three-point field goal percentage at 34.7 (No. 3 BSC)
-No. 83 in win-loss percentage at 66.7 (No. 2 BSC).
Hot Shooting
Just one of Idaho State's 12 players to appear in Big Sky play is shooting below 38 percent through 16 games. Moore leads all shooters in conference play with a 53.6 field goal percentage (Min. 50 attempts).
Like A Well-Oiled Machine
Idaho State has been one of the most efficient teams in the Big Sky Conference this season. The Bengals ranked first in field goal percentage and second in field goal percentage defense entering play this week.
Doing It All
Kenyon leads the team in nearly every statistical category including steals (32), blocks (26), points per game (14.3) and rebounds per game (7.0). Grandon is tied for first in steals and has one more assist (81) than her counterpart.
Downtown Sharpshooter
Ors is currently the second-most accurate three-point shooter in Idaho State history. She has a career 42.3 three-point field goal percentage and ranks fifth in school history for three-pointers made with 135. She has also been efficient from the free throw line with an 88.1 success rate.
Dual Threat Down Low
Tapasa is averaging 8.6 points and 5.0 rebounds per game this season. She has been solid from the floor with a 48.7 field goal percentage.
Speed Limit, 60
The Bengal defense has allowed less than 60 points to an opponent on 14 occasions this season. They are 14-0 in those games. ISU has allowed between 60-69 points five times with a 3-2 record. All six times an opponent has tallied 70 or more points the Bengals have lost.
To pair with that statistic, Idaho State has held its opponent under a 40 percent field goal percentage 16 times with a 15-1 record. ISU is 2-7 when an opponent shoots at least 40 percent from the floor.
Streaking
Wins are not the only thing Idaho State is stringing together this season.
Kenyon has:
70 consecutive starts
Scored 10+ points in nine consecutive games
Scored in 73 consecutive games.
Grandon has:
57 consecutive starts
Recorded at least one made field goal in 29 consecutive games
Scored in 62 consecutive games.
Bourne has an assist in 23 straight games.
Tapasa has:
42 consecutive starts
Secured a rebound in every contest but one this season.
The team has:
Recorded at least one block in 32 straight games
Shot 40 percent or better from the field in five straight games
Double-digit assists in 22 of 25 games.
In The Record Books (Idaho State Top-10)
Kenyon has made several leaps into the record books. She currently ranks: eighth in blocks; seventh in free throws made, games played and double-doubles; fifth in points and assists; fourth in rebounds and field goals made and is tied for first in triple-doubles. She also became the eighth player in ISU history to reach 100 career blocks Thursday night.
-Ors holds the No. 5 spot in three pointers made with 135 and is the second-most accurate 3-point shooter in ISU history. Meanwhile, Grandon ranks 10th in three-point field goals made and ninth in 3-point field goal percentage at 37.7 percent.
-Tapasa recently shot her way into the record books. She currently holds a 46.0 career field goal percentage which ranks ninth in the ISU all-time records.
Just Like The Old Days
Idaho State did not need a three-pointer to defeat Northern Arizona on the road this year. 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.
Road Warriors
ISU's win against Montana State was its sixth on the road in conference play, matching its highest total since 2012-13. The last time the Bengals won more than six conference road games, they went on to win the Big Sky Conference Tournament.
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.
Stellar Saylair
Grandon has tallied two Ready Nutrition Big Sky Player of the Week awards 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.
