POCATELLO, Idaho – Idaho State women's basketball is gearing up for the 2023 Big Sky Basketball Tournament in Boise, Idaho.
The Bengals have matched up with Portland State for their opening game.
Tip is set for Saturday, March 4 at 2:30 PM MT.
The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ with live stats also available. Mark Liptak and Brad Bugger will have the call on KISU 91.1 FM and KISU.org
How to Follow | ISU vs PSU | 3/4/2023 | 2:30 PM MT
Watch | Listen | Live Stats | Game Notes | Championship Central | Schedule
Bengal Bites
• The Bengals opened the 2022-23 regular season on 11/07 with a 62-42 win over the Westminster Griffins.
• Finley Garnett had a career night against Westminster, scoring the first double-double of the season, a career-high 20 pts, 10 rebound effort
• Against the CBU lancers on 11/26 Idaho State had 3 separate players record double-doubles. Callie Bourne, Laura Bello and Kacey Spink, this is believed to be the first time in ISU WBB history that this has occurred.
• Seton Sobolewski recorded his 250th win as head coach on 11/22/2022 against Montana Tech
• Freshman Kacey Spink has dazzled on defense, averaging 5.9 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game for the Orange and Black.
• ISU has the 37th-best scoring defense in the NCAA and the No.1 spot in the Big Sky Conference, holding opponents to an average of 57.8 points scored.
• Callie Bourne scored her 1,000th career point in the Bengal's win over Montana Tech. Callie is the 22nd player in ISU history to pass the four-figure mark and the first Bengal since current assistant coach Dora goles passed the mark in the 2021-22 season.
• ISU picked up its first DI win of the year, defeating California Baptist on 11/26.
• IN the Bengals' win over UVU Both Laura Bello and Callie Bourne recorded their 3rd double-double of the season.
• Callie Bourne's 7 steals vs UVU was 1 shy of the all-time school record for single-game steals.
• While the Bengals have played Florida based teams before, the tournament the Bengals played in Orlando is believed to be the first game that Idaho State has played within the sunshine State in program history.
• Finley Garnett had her 3rd 20+ Point game of the season against the NAU Lumberjacks on 12/29.
• For the First time since the 2007 season, the Idaho State men's and women's basketball teams opened up Big Sky Play with a combined 4-0 record.
• Over the past five games Callie Bourne has scored 120 points (24 PPG), 192 minutes (out of 200), 28 rebounds, 22 assists
• Bourne Became the ISU all-time assist leader during Saturday's game vs Sac State with her 406th career assist.
• Laura Bello finished the season ranked No. 1 in individual rebounds averaging 9.4 per game and No. 2 in blocks with 33 on the season.
• Laura Bello finished the season with eight double-doubles and Callie Bourne finishes with five on the season.
• In conference play, Callie Bourne has been on an absolute tear averaging 17.8 ppg, 6.8 rebounds per game and 4.3 assists. She only had 1 game where she scored single-digit points.
• In her final eight conference games, Bourne has averaged 22.1 ppg.
History and Quick Scout – Portland State
• The PSU Vikings come into the Big Sky Tournament having dropped four of their last five games. The lone win was a comeback 74-72 overtime victory over the Montana Griz in Portland on 2/23.
• The Bengals started the final skid, defeating the Vikings 59-43 in Reed Gym.
• Idaho State leads the all-time series 43-24. The Bengals have won 23 of the last 25 games against the Vikings. This season the series is split 1-1.
• The Bengals and Vikings have met three times in the post season. ISU leads the all-time series 2-1. The previous meeting was a 66-50 semifinal victory for the Orange and Black en route to a Big Sky Championship in 2021.
• The Vikings have the 8th ranked offense and 3rd best defense in the conference this season.
• PSU is dangerous from behind the arc, shooting .344 with 205 made averaging 7.3 per game.
• The Vikings have struggled on the glass this season, ranking last in team rebounds with a 31.2 board per game average.
• As a team, the Vikings finished the regular season with a positive turnover margin, with 0.96 turnovers per game less than opponents.
• Esmeralda Morales leads the Vikings and is 4th in the Big Sky in scoring averaging 16.3 ppg on the season.
• Don't send Alaya Fitzgerald to the free throw line, the Viking has converted 84.7 percent of her attempts which ranks her 5th in the Big Sky Conference
