Pocatello, ID- The Idaho State Bengals men's basketball team will be back in action on New Year's Eve night Saturday, December 31st against the University of Northern Colorado Bears at 6 p.m. in Reed Gym. Since 2007 the Bengals and Bears have met 32 times, the Bengals winning 14 of them.
UNC comes into the game with a record of 5-8 on the year, losing their latest matchup to the Weber State Wildcats on Thursday night by nine. The Bears are averaging 71.4 points per game on 43 percent shooting from the field. The Bears have been on a roll from three-point land this season averaging 9.2 three-pointers made per game (40th in the country) while shooting 36.4 percent from deep (77th in the country). The Bears have also been deadly from the stripe this season, shooting 77.6 percent from the free-throw line (14th in the country) and making 14.4 per game (80th in the country).
The Bengals will look to slow down the Bears behind their fierce defense and hot start of their own from deep. Idaho State's defense has held their opponents to 30.3 percent from three-point land this season (76th in the nation), averages 3 blocks per game (2nd in the Big Sky), and 6.3 steals per game (3rd in the Big Sky). The Bengals have been unconscious from three-point land averaging 9 threes per game (54th in the nation) led by the starting guard duo, Brock Mackenzie and Miguel Tomley who are both top 10 in the Big Sky in three-pointers per game and total three pointers made.
Tip will be at 6 p.m. in Reed Gym. Jerry Miller will call the game on KISU and Dylan Carder will call the game on ESPN +.
University of Northern Colorado (5-8)
Home (1-3), Away (2-5), Neutral (2-0)
ISU Recent Series vs. UNC
2/21/2022 A L 77-70
2/17/2022 H W 61-58
12/23/2020 A W 71-56
12/22/2020 A L 69-64
2/22/2020 H L 85-72
1/30/2020 A L 83-67
3/2/2019 A L 71-62
1/21/2019 H L 77-53
Northern Arizona University Recap
The Idaho State men's basketball team was able to take care of business against the Northern Arizona University Lumberjacks, 79-53. This game opened Big Sky Conference play for both the Lumberjacks and Bengals. The loss drops NAU's record on the year to 4-10 and 0-1 in conference play.
The Bengals came out on fire early in the game, stretching their early lead to 25-10 in the first ten minutes of the game. The Bengals kept this momentum throughout the rest of the half and went in to the break leading by 23 points, 44-21. Idaho State found more of the same success in the 2nd half and never looked back as they rolled to a 26-point victory.
The Lumberjacks did not have an answer for Brock Mackenzie tonight as he finished with a season high 25 points on 10-of-14 shooting from the field and 3-of-6 from three-point land. Miguel Tomley added 13 points and a season high nine rebounds while Brayden Parker had 10 points and five rebounds. It was an all-around team effort for the Bengals tonight as we saw Kolby Lee and Austin Smellie score nine points apiece and Jordan Hansen finish with season highs eight points and three rebounds.
Idaho State shot 53.8 percent from the field and 50 percent from deep making 12 three-pointers on 24 attempts. The Bengals assisted on 13 made shots, and doubled up the Lumberjacks in rebounding 40-20. The Bengal defense held Northern Arizona to 40 percent shooting from the field and 23.1 percent from deep. The big surge from the Bengals to start the game played a big role in the victory as once they grabbed the lead they never looked back, leading for all but 2 minutes of the game.
The Returning 6
0 AJ Burgin G So. 6-3 205 San Diego, Calif.
2 Tommy Ball G Fr. 6-0 175 El Dorado Hills, Calif.
5 Austin Smellie G Sr. 6-5 200 Preston, Idaho
13 Daxton Carr F Jr. 6-7 215 Pocatello, Idaho
22 Jared Rodriguez F Sr. 6-8 215 Glendale, Ariz.
25 Brayden Parker C Jr. 6-8 250 Preston, Idaho
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1 Jay Nagle F Sr. 6-9 215 Vacaville, Calif.
3 Ronnie Stapp G Jr. 6-6 185 Bakersfield, Calif.
10 Miguel Tomley G So. 6-3 200 Surrey, BC
11 Brock Mackenzie G Sr. 6-2 185 Sammamish, Wash.
12 Turner Livingston F Fr. 6-4 195 Spokane, Wash.
14 Jordan Hansen G Fr. 6-6 215 Seattle, Wash.
20 Briggs Ranstrom F Fr. 6-6 205 Eagle, Idaho
23 Maleek Arington G Fr. 6-3 200 Lake Tapps, Wash.
24 Ed Chang F Jr. 6-8 215 Papillion, Neb.
32 Kolby Lee C Sr. 6-9 240 Meridian, Idaho
44 Louis Stormark C Fr. 6-9 250 Alleroed, Denmark
Bengal Bites
- Brock Mackenzie is currently 60th in the country in three-pointers made (35), and 32nd in the country in three-point percentage (43.8)
- Brock Mackenzie and Miguel Tomley are both top 10 in the Big Sky in three-pointers per game and three pointers made
- The Bengals are currently 54th in the nation in three-pointers made per game (9 per game)
- The Bengals' defense is currently 2nd in the Big Sky and 76th in the country in three-point percentage defense, holding opponents to just 30.3 percent from three this season
- The Bengals' defense ranks 3rd in the Big Sky in steals per game (6.3) and 2nd in the Big Sky in blocks per game (3)
