Nov. 18, 2009

Game Notes: Nebraska

Pocatello, ID--The Bengals head to Nebraska for the first time as the Huskers host Idaho State on Thursday, November 19 at 6:05 p.m. MT at the Devaney Center. Idaho State comes off a two-game losing streak while the Cornhuskers are on a two-game winning streak. The Huskers will be ISU's final road game, of a three-road game streak to start the season. Idaho State will then quickly turning around for ISU's home opener against Boise State on Saturday.

Live stats will be available at Nebraska's main athletic web page at www.huskers.com. All of Idaho State's road games will be broadcast by KISU 91.1 FM broadcast by play-by-play announcer Mark Liptak. Fans can also access the broadcast through a web link on ISU's athletic web page at www.isubengals.com.

The Bengals opened the season with a seven-point loss to Saint Mary's. ISU started three freshman while six saw time on the floor and cut a double-figure lead by Saint Mary's twice during the contest. Idaho State also out-scored the Gaels 39-36 in the second half. The Bengals then played their first ranked opponent of the season #18 California (ranked #13 in the USA Today ESPN Coaches Poll). After a adjusting for a surprise 1-3-1 half court trap the Bengals began to holds its own against Cal, but fell 100-43, ISU's first 100 point loss since the 105-55 loss to Montana in 2006. The -57 point loss with Cal tied Idaho State's third largest margin defeat in school history. The last time Idaho State gave up 100 points was a 105-55 loss to Montana in 2006.

Even with Cal's strong performance influencing ISU's statistics the Bengals still maintained a .319 field goal percentage in the first two games of the season. From the three-point range Idaho State out-shot its opponents hitting 15-of-38 for a 39.5 percent accuracy. Even with a young team Idaho State was on the prowl for opportunities and snatched 20 steals to its opponents 27 steals. ISU posted 13 to Saint Mary's eight steals. Freshman Kaela Oakes posted a 17-point performance in her first game as a Division I player while Oana Iacovita posted two back-to-back double-figure point performances.

Senior Iacovita leads the Bengals averaging 12.5 points per game closely followed by freshman Oakes who is averaging 12 points. Oakes and Ashleigh Vella lead ISU in field goal percentage with .429 with Oakes hitting 9-of-21 and Vella posting 3-of-7. However, Oakes also leads the turnover count with 13 total, not a bad figure for a freshman starting against the likes of Saint Mary's and #18 Cal. Oakes and Iacovita have hit 50 percent of their treys with Oakes hitting 3-of-6 and Iacovita, a 6-1 forward, is 2-of-4 from the arc.

Oakes opened the season with a game-high 17 point performance against Saint Mary's in her first Division I game. She hit 6-of-13 from the field. She hit 50 percent of her treys (2-of-4) and she was a perfect 3-for-3 from the line. The 5-5 guard also posted four rebounds, three assists and a steal.

Iacovita posted back-to-back double-figures in points in the Bengals first week of competition. She recorded 10 points in her first game of the season against Saint Mary's and notched five rebounds. She hit 4-of-11 from the field and recorded two assists and two steals. The 6-1 forward has posted at least one three-pointer in each contest hitting 50 percent 1-of-2 in each game. She led the Bengals with 15 points against #18 California. Hitting 5-of-14 from the field and she put away all four of her free throw attempts. She posted three assists, four rebounds as well as a steal against Cal.

Idaho State is averaging 31.9 percent from the field and 39.5 percent from the arc. The Bengals average 32.5 rebounds per game. The Bengals are hitting 60 percent from the line (21-of-35). ISU's opponents have seen the line more than twice as many times as the Bengals as opponents average 23 free-throws per game while the Bengals average 10.5 per game.

Idaho State's schedule doesn't get any easier as they face off against Nebraska who returns six starting players and 12 lettermen after posting a 15-16 overall record. The Huskers ended their season with a second round appearance at the WNIT after tying for seventh in the Big 12 with a 6-10 record.

Nebraksa is on a two-game win streak overcoming Davidson at home (86-62) and UNLV (73-51) on the road. Four of Nebraska's players average double-figures in points with Yvonne Turner leading the way with 13, followed by Cory Montgomery with 12.5, Dominique Kelley with 12 and Kelsey Griffing with 11 points. All four players post above a 40 percent accuracy in field goal shots. Griffin a senior 6-2 All-America Candidate led the Huskers against Davidson posting a team high in points and rebounds with 13 points and seven boards. Kelley and Turner led the Huskers past UNLV recording 17 points each, but Griffin hit the boards hard again with a team-high 13 rebounds.

As a team Nebraska posts a 44.4 percent accuracy from the field and a 35.4 percent accuracy from the arc. They out-rebound their opponents 44-to-34.5 and edge out overall in offensive and defensive boards. However, Nebraska is not without its own faults as the team matches its opponents with 48 turnovers and the team posts a 63.3 percent accuracy from the line.