POCATELLO, Idaho - Idaho State Women's Basketball returns home for the final time in 2025 to host Omaha in the Big Sky / Summit League Challenge. Tip off is set for 7:00 PM in Reed Gym, the game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and on KISU. The Bengals are coming home off of a 1-1 performance at the Bank of Hawai'i Classic where they took down Portland 58-57,  and fell to LMU. After Wednesday's game with the Mavericks, the Bengals will kick off a 6 game road trip going past the new year. 

HOW TO FOLLOW

Tipoff: 7:00 p.m. MT
Location: Reed Gym – Pocatello, Idaho
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: KISU.org (KISU 91.1 FM) – Play-by-play with Mark Liptak
Live Stats: StatBroadcast

Idaho State Gamenotes

TIPPING OFF

Idaho State returns to Pocatello at 4–2 after closing the Bank of Hawaiʻi Classic with a 58–57 win over Portland and a loss to LMU. The Bengals have built one of the Big Sky's most reliable defensive foundations through the first month of the season. ISU is holding opponents to 57.2 points per game, the third-best figure in the conference and 70th nationally, while ranking 56th in field goal percentage defense at 35.7 percent.

The Bengals also carry several top-50 national statistical marks, including three-point percentage at 37.2 percent, turnover margin at plus 6.17, steals per game at 11.7, and turnovers per game at just 13.5. Idaho State forces 19.7 turnovers per contest and averages 13.3 assists while maintaining a positive assist-to-turnover ratio.

Graduate guard Tasia Jordan leads Idaho State with 14.2 points and 5.0 rebounds per game while averaging a team-best 1.0 block. Junior forward Piper Carlson remains a steady interior presence with 10.7 points and a team-high 7.0 rebounds on 52.3 percent shooting. Senior guard Kacey Spink continues to impact every area of the floor, averaging 7.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 3.83 steals per game, which ranks 13th nationally.

Graduate guard Sophia Covello adds 9.0 points per game while shooting 42.9 percent from three and providing 3.3 assists per contest. Freshman guards Maeva Gauffrenet and Aurora Elder continue to supply energy off the bench.

Tuesday marks the first-ever meeting between Idaho State and Omaha. The Bengals enter the Big Sky and Summit League Challenge with a 2–2 record against Summit League opponents over the previous two seasons.

Scouting the Mavericks

Omaha enters Tuesday's game at 1–6 and is in the early stages of a rebuild under first-year head coach Jamie Carey. The Mavericks field one of the youngest rosters in the Summit League with nine freshmen, only three returning players, and international talent from Serbia, New Zealand, Turkey, and Germany. Carey and her staff have emphasized long-term development, fundamentals, and clean basketball while building toward a sustainable program identity.

Offensively, Omaha is led by two primary scorers. Guard Abby Olsen averages 17.3 points per game, and guard Yelitza Estupinan adds 15.4, with the duo combining for more than half of the Mavericks' scoring output. Omaha averages 58.0 points per game as a team and has experienced uneven offensive results when either leading scorer is unavailable.

Forward Merrow anchors Omaha's rebounding effort with 10.7 rebounds per game, and the Mavericks rely heavily on second-chance opportunities. Omaha is coming off an 85–41 road loss at Lindenwood and has struggled to maintain consistency on both ends of the floor.

Defensively, Omaha plays primarily man-to-man with situational zone usage. Rotation depth will be limited for Tuesday's game as Milosevic, Walker, and Ojullu are not making the trip, while leading scorer Olsen did not appear in the team's most recent contest.

By the Numbers

Record Watch – Kacey Spink

Senior guard Kacey Spink continues her rise up the Idaho State career steals list and now ranks second in program history. With 214 career steals, she has passed former Bengal Angela Munger (203) and is just 13 steals away from tying Greta Garver's all-time record of 227 and 14 from breaking it. Spink ranks 13th nationally in steals per game and remains a central driver of Idaho State's defensive intensity.

Idaho State Career Steals Leaders

1. Greta Garver – 227

2. Kacey Spink – 214

3. Angela Munger – 203

4. Theresa Mallak – 170

5. Shelley Hand – 165

6. Nancy Imhoff – 164

7. Callie Bourne – 158

8. Dora Goles – 157

9. Estefie Ors – 156

10. Chelsea Pickering – 153

Upcoming Career Milestones

1 Kacey Spink – 17 points from 700; 13 steals from tying the all-time ISU record.
2 Aspen Caldwell – 44 points from 150 career points.
3 Cam Collman – 5 rebounds from 50; 29 points from 200.
4 Alyse Aby – 2 points from 250 career points.
5 Tasia Jordan – 23 games from 75; 21 field goals from 275; 9 points from 600.
12 Mackenzie Marenchin – 20 points from 50.
14 Piper Carlson – 36 made field goals from 250; 42 rebounds from 400; 47 points from 550.
18 Maeva Gauffrenet – 4 points from 50.
22 Sophia Covello – 3 games from 100; 46 made field goals from 250; 49 threes from 150; 36 points from 650.

National Rankings Snapshot

Idaho State enters this week with six national Top-75 statistical rankings, highlighted by its efficiency from beyond the arc and continued defensive pressure. The Bengals rank 31st nationally in three-point percentage at 37.2 percent and sit 45th in turnover margin at plus 6.17. ISU also holds top-50 marks in steals per game at 47th and turnovers per game at 47th. Defensively, the Bengals rank 56th in field goal percentage defense at 35.7 percent and 70th in scoring defense, allowing just 57.2 points per contest.

What's Next

Idaho State continues its homestand on Saturday, December 6, hosting Denver at 4:00 p.m. MT inside Reed Gym. The game will air live on ESPN+ with radio coverage on KISU 91.1 FM and KISU.org.