POCATELLO, Idaho - Idaho State women's basketball wraps up a two-game homestand Monday night against the Cal Poly Mustangs. Tipoff at Reed Gym is set for 7:00 PM MT on ESPN+.
The Bengals evened their record Friday with a 79-30 win over Westminster. Westminster's 30 points were the fewest Idaho State has allowed since 1978 and the fewest of the Sobolewski era. ISU led 42-18 at halftime and held the Griffins to two points on 1-of-17 shooting in the third quarter. Senior guard Aspen Caldwell led five Bengals in double figures with 15 points, and freshman Jazzy Wilkerson posted her first career double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Seton Sobolewski is in his 19th season as the winningest coach in program history with a 306-249 record.
Idaho State leads the all-time series 5-1 and has won five straight meetings dating back to 1995. Monday is the seventh meeting between the programs and the third in Pocatello, where the Bengals are 2-0. Cal Poly's only win came in the first meeting, an 84-70 decision at a neutral site in 1983. Last season, ISU won 62-49 in San Luis Obispo on Dec. 13, 2025.
Quick Look at Cal Poly
Cal Poly is 2-0 after home wins over UC Merced (79-38) and Whittier (61-33). Shanele Stires is in her fifth season as head coach.
The Mustangs have eight newcomers, five of them transfers. Junior forward Dessirae Ulmer, a two-time All-KJCCC pick at Colby Community College, leads the team with 15.0 points and 11.0 rebounds per game and posted 17 points and 14 rebounds in her debut. Senior guard Sumer Lee, a DePaul transfer, averages 11.5 points. Junior guard Maddy Tauro, who played the last two seasons at Big West rival Cal State Fullerton, leads the team with 4.5 assists and seven steals.
Cal Poly is averaging 70.0 points per game and shooting .433 from the field. Defensively, the Mustangs have allowed 35.5 points per game and held opponents to .218 shooting and 3-of-27 from 3-point range. They are forcing 22.5 turnovers per game and averaging 14.0 steals.
Bengal Bites
Idaho State's freshmen have scored 75 of the Bengals' 129 points this season. Clare Valentine leads the team at 12.5 points per game.
Freshman Krystal Arnason had eight points, nine rebounds, five blocks and five steals against Westminster. She leads ISU with seven blocks and six steals.
Freshman Emma Bryant leads the Bengals with 3.5 assists per game and a 3.5 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Ball security is the matchup to watch. ISU is averaging 18.0 turnovers per game, and Cal Poly is forcing 22.5 per game.
Senior Maggie Hutka has 874 career points and 461 career rebounds. She is 39 rebounds shy of 500 and two steals shy of 75.
Junior Bojana Radnjic knows the Big West after playing last season at UC Santa Barbara.
Opponents are shooting .275 from the field and .196 from 3-point range against Idaho State.
NUMBERS TO WATCH
5-1: Idaho State's all-time series lead over Cal Poly.
5: Straight wins for the Bengals in the series.
30: Points allowed to Westminster, the fewest by an ISU opponent since 1978.
306: Career wins for Sobolewski, most in program history.
75: Points scored by Bengal freshmen through two games, out of 129.
22.5: Turnovers per game Cal Poly is forcing.
39: Rebounds Hutka needs to reach 500 for her career.
