Written by Jon Match
After two months, the Idaho State women’s basketball team is set to open Big Sky Conference play this week. The Bengals first take on the University of Montana Grizzlies in Reed Gym on Thursday, Dec. 30 at 7:00 p.m.
Then the Bengals ring in the new year with a matchup with last season's semifinalist Montana State Bobcats Saturday, Jan. 1 at 2:00 p.m. in Reed Gym. Due to the men’s team being on the road and playing at the same time, there will be no audio broadcast of the women’s games on KISU this week.
Bengal Bites (With Thanks to Mark Liptak)
· Dora Goles hit a free throw against St. Thomas on 12/11 to become the 21st member of the Idaho State 1,000 point club.
· Tomekia Whitman leads the conference in steals, averaging 2.9 a game. She would need 28 more to break into the ISU single-season top-10 steals list.
· In the game against Park on 11/13/21, Montana Oltrogge passed 500 career points.
· The 109-56 win over Park was the 2nd highest scoring game in Bengal history. (first place was a 113-107 win against Weber State in the Big Sky Tournament.)
· The 53-point differential against Park was the fourth highest in program history.
· The Bengals 34 assists against Park were one shy of the overall ISU record (35 vs NAU on 2-15-1992)
· In the game against Missouri, Ellie Smith Passed Grace Kenyon for 9th all time in career blocks (105 total)
· Ellie Smith is now in seventh place all-time in blocked shots with 114. In sixth place is Cydney Horton with 116 blocks. She played from 2010-2013.
· *Estefania Ors has scored 1,469 points, she is now sixth all-time. Next up, fifth on the list, is Grace Kenyon with 1,471 points. *Ors is now tied for fifth place all-time in made field goals with 510. She is tied with Ashley Toner who played from 1999-2003.
· *Ors is just the sixth Bengal player to have at least 500 made field goals in a career.
· Ors now has 215 made three-point shots in her career the best ever for the program. She became the 15 th player in ISU WBB history with at least 1,000 points and at least 500 rebounds when she had three boards vs. Toledo in the Cancun Classic. Ors also needs one assists to give her 300 which would tie her for 10 th place all-time with Jennifer Griffin who played from 1998-2002.
· *Estefania has made 234 free throws. She needs seven more made ones to tie Molly Hays for 10 th place all- time at 241. Hays played from 2003-2005.
· Ors has played in 136 games for ISU. That is the all-time program record.
· *Dora Goles became the 21 st ISU WBB player to pass 1,000 points in a career when she got 10 at St. Thomas (MN.) She’s scored 1,008 and counting. *Goles is now in fifth place with 152 made three-point shots. Fourth on the list is Chris Urbanski who made 172 three-pointers in her career which spanned from 1997 through 2001.
· *Goles is now ninth all-time in made field goals with 477. Next up is Lindsey Reed at 486. Reed played from 2010-2014. She needs two steals to tie for 10 th place all-time at 142 with Stacey Nelson who played from 1993-1997 and Grace Kenyon who played from 2014-2019. Goles also needs 13 assists to give her 300 which would tie her for 10 th place all-time with Jennifer Griffin who played from 1998-2002.
· Montana Oltrogge needs two more made three-point shots for 100 in her career.
· Tomekia Whitman needs four rebounds for 200 in her career.
· Callie Bourne now has 607 rebounds in her career. She needs three assists for 250 in her career.
· Seton Sobolewski has now coached 412 games.
Numbers to Watch
15 – Number of rebounds Dora Goles needs for 350 in her career.
33 – Points Montana Oltrogge needs for 600 in her career
31 – Points Estefania Ors needs for 1500 career points.
1 – Block Ellie Smith needs for 115 in her career
4 – Rebounds needed for Tomekia Whitman to hit 200 in her career
3.0 – Steals Tomekia Whitman is averaging per game, This leads the Big Sky Conference
Quick Scout and Series History – Montana
· The Montana Grizzlies have a league-best 9-2 record so far in this 2021-22 season. UM has played seven of the games at home going 5-2 in Missoula.
· UM’s two losses have come against common opponents. Gonzaga beat the Griz 67-60 in Missoula and Utah Valley beat the Griz 63-50.
· Their wins have come against mostly DI opponents and they have wins against North Dakota, North Dakota State and Houston Baptist.
· The Griz are scoring 71.6 PPG while holding opponents to a league best 57.4 ppg average.
· #20 Carmen Gfeller leads UM in scoring with 162 points averaging 14.7 ppg. #10 Haley Huard leads the team in 3pt shooting, going 53.1 percent on 17-of-32 from behind the arc.
· UM leads the league in defensive rebounds averaging 31.7/game.
Montana leads the overall series with the Bengals 72-16. The Bengals though are 8-2 in their previous 10 meetings.
Last season, the Bengals won back-to-back games in Missoula, the first time in program history it had been accomplished.
Previous 10 Meetings
* 12/29/16 H W 61-43
* 03/03/17 A L 53-68
+ 03/06/17 N W 63-53
* 03/02/18 H W 72-60
* 01/24/19 H W 50-34
* 02/16/19 A L 60-59
* 01/23/20 A W 67-53
* 02/15/20 H W 72-59
* 02/25/21 A W 79-49
* 02/27/21 A W 72-56
Quick Scout and Series History – Montana State
· Montana State is 7-6 coming into Big Sky Conference play this season. After going on a five-game losing streak, the Bobcats turned it around and won six games in a row before falling to #19 BYU on Dec. 21.
· The Bobcats have a common loss against Gonzaga (72-47) and a common wins against Utah Valley (67-58) and Carroll College (69-60).
· MSU is scoring 66.8 points on average while allowing 71.1.
· The Bobcats are led by league preseason MVP Darian White. White is the only bobcat scoring in double-digits on average at 15.2 ppg.
· MSU plays a strong defense and White is just behind Tomekia Whitman leading the conference in steals per game (2.8/game)
· From the charity stripe, the Bobcats have a conference best 78.6 percent with 165 made FT.
· Montana State leads the overall series 46-38. In Pocatello, the Bengals have a 23-15 series lead.
· ISU is 4-6 in the previous 10 matchups with the Bobcats, The two teams split their series last year.
The Bengals won 69-59 at home and the Bobcats won 88-80 in overtime in Bozeman.
Previous 10 meetings
* 12/31/16 H W 67-59
* 03/01/17 A L 67-73
+ 03/11/17 N L 56-62
* 02/28/18 H L 60-61
* 01/26/19 H W 61-43
* 02/14/19 A W 62-49
* 01/25/20 A L 67-59
* 02/13/20 H L 74-55
* 02/18/21 H W 69-59
* 02/20/21 A L 88-80 OT
