Preview: Idaho State at Arizona State

Sunday is the last non-conference game and final opportunity for the Idaho State women to upset a big-time conference opponent.

The Bengals are in Tempe, Ariz., to play the 7-4 Arizona State Sun Devils at 2 p.m. (Sunday, Dec. 30)

So far this year, Idaho State has played and lost to Kansas State, No. 22/20 Kansas and Nebraska (the Huskers have received votes in the latest AP top-25 poll and are ranked No. 19 in the USA Today Coaches Poll). The Bengals are 0-3 and lost by an average of 11 per game.

Can the Bengals finally break through and beat an opponent from a major conference?

Let’s think about this matchup in bullet-form style.

• This game closes out the non-conference portion of both team’s schedules. The Sun Devils — winners of four straight — start Pac-12 action at Washington Jan. 4, and the Bengals return to the Big Sky to play North Dakota in frigid Grand Forks Jan. 3 (seriously, it’s cold there. The high for Monday is minus one).

• Since 2009, ASU is 27-3 against non-conference opponents.

• The Sun Devils and Bengals have met before. Back in 1982, ASU won 98-71 and in 2009 Arizona State won 65-56.

• In that 2009 meeting, Ashleigh Vella had seven points in 21 minutes. Kaela Oakes, who is from Chandler, Ariz., only about 20 minutes outside of Tempe, had six points, five assists and no turnovers. Those are the only two current ISU players that recorded any playing time.

• Breaking down the ASU schedule: Overall record of Sun Devil opponents, 75-51; overall record of teams they’ve lost to, 39-8; overall record to teams ASU has beat, 36-43.

• The Sun Devils have played two teams that are either ranked in the latest AP Top-25 or Coaches Poll or have received votes.

• No. 15/14 and 12-0 Dayton beat Arizona State 65-59 in Tempe in the ASU Classic tournament. And UTEP — who at 11-1 received two votes in one poll and six in another — beat the Sun Devils way back on Nov. 11 in Tempe.

• So, I suppose, in very simple terms, it’s fair to say that the Devils have lost to good teams and beaten OK to bad teams.

• Best ASU win? Probably the 74-58 victory over 11-3 Florida in Las Vegas

• Janae Fulcher is ASU’s leading scorer (11.1 points per game). She’s the only Sun Devil averaging double figures, but eight players average at least five points a game.

• Oakes isn’t the only Arizona native playing in her home state. Abyee Maracigian is from Tucson (about two hours away from ASU), and Lindsey Reed hails from Kingman (a three and a half hour drive).

• Stat bit that’s completely useless: Ashleigh Vella leads the Bengals in free throws, rebounds, steals, turnovers and personal fouls. She’s second on the team in both points and blocks. Oh, and Vella is third on ISU in field goals per game, 3-pointers and assists. In other words, there’s literally nothing she’s not doing on the floor.

Remembering a moment from 2012

As we crest the hill to 2013 — you silly Mayans — it's inevitable that we look back and remember the best moments from the year left behind.

In just a few short months at the Journal I've had the luck to watch and cover some really great games. The ones that stick out the most do so because they had a moment, a point in time where you felt the rush, the rush of ... pure bliss.

Because that's what's great about sports. We watch teams grind their way through long seasons, observe how the kids develop and improve until, finally, we reach a game — a moment — where all the hard work can either pay off in a huge win or it can seemingly all drown in a lake of misery after a bitter loss.

The moments I'm writing about are when the quarterback finds an open receiver down field for the game-winning touchdown or the buzzer-beating jumpshot in basketball. They're moments fans of that team — of both teams, really — won't forget and neither can the players involved.

Like when Bonneville’s Jordan Vielma kicked a 26-yard field goal with four seconds left to beat Pocatello (sorry, I know that one still hurts Indian fans).    

Or the Malad-West Side doubleheader in volleyball that took half the night but was worth the time because only one could advance to state. Those volleyball matches weren’t just about one moment. Instead it was the accumulation of emotion as momentum swung back and forth until, ultimately, the Dragons advanced (apologies to Pirate fans).

Without question, though, the single greatest, best moment from 2012 came from a girls’ soccer match. A 4A semifinal game more specifically.

The Century Diamondbacks entered the 2012 4A Girls Soccer Tournament as the No. 1 seed from the 4A Fifth/ Sixth District, a confident team that hadn’t lost in over a month.

After defeating Wood River 2-0 in their first game, and exercising some opening-round demons in the process — Century had lost its first game at state the previous four season — the D-backs only had Moscow between them and the championship match.

But semi-final games in state tournaments aren’t supposed to be easy, and this one wasn’t. The Bears from Moscow had come to play.

Century struck first via a goal from freshman Kennedy Yost just before half. That 1-0 lead felt like it might hold as Moscow’s offense, like so many before them, struggled to solve the riddle known as the Diamondbacks’ defense.

The Bears, however, were a team that fit the proverbial description of scrappers and refused to go away. In the 50th minute, Moscow’s Julianne Renner found a hole in the D-backs’ defense, took a cross from teammate Ashley Engberg, and crushed the ball into the net to tie the game.

Suddenly, Century, a team that expected nothing less than a spot in the state championship, teetered on the brink of disaster. But in the face of adversity, the D-backs showed their true colors. Instead of withering from the pressure, they attacked harder, relentlessly and without remorse.

Moscow wouldn’t fold, though, and overtime loomed.

Until that freshman, Yost, with an apparent penchant for delivering when it matters most, drew a foul in the 79th minute just outside the box.

It set up a free kick for senior Katherine Roberts.   

This was, potentially, one of those moments. In the state tournament, with the game tied, Roberts had the ability with her foot to rocket the D-backs into the championship match.

So, of course, she did.

The ball arced high into the net, just beyond the goalkeeper’s outstretched glove. Roberts’ arms shot up in the air as if saluting the heavens themselves.

Century 2, Moscow 1.

Does the fact that Century lost in the next game to Bishop Kelly somehow tarnish the memory?

Well, remember Abby Wambach’s header that sent U.S. into a shootout with Brazil in the 2010 World Cup? It’s arguably the second-greatest goal in U.S. women’s soccer history.

Is that play diminished by America’s loss to Japan in the championship?

For me, absolutely not.

Let Roberts’ game winner live on in all its glory because in that singular point of time there was nothing better.

And I haven’t even mentioned the best part of the story.

Roberts is staying close to home — ultra close — and heading to Idaho State to play soccer for the Bengals.

Big Sky rankings — The never too early version one

One weekend of women’s Big Sky action is more than enough of a sample size needed to rank all 11 teams, right?

What’s better than jumping to conclusions just to be proven wrong?

Nine of the 11 have played two games in conference and the other two just one.     Already, though, we have some early surprises beyond Eastern Washington’s upset of the Bengals last Saturday.

And don’t fret over a ranking you deem too low or high. The list is fluid and, as of now, we’ve worked our way through 10 percent of the conference season. Oh, and this list is largely based on what teams have done in conference play. I’m not too concerned with overall win-loss records.

Without further ado.

   

1. Eastern Washington 5-5, 2-0    

The Eagles traveled to Weber State and won 88-60 and then beat Idaho State 61-55.

The Bengals were the preseason pick to win the Big Sky for good reason. The ISU women are legitimately good, and it’s quite the statement for the Eagles to enter Reed Gym and leave with a victory for the first time since 2003.

Add in another road win over hapless Weber State in Ogden and Eastern is worthy of the top spot — for now.

   

    2. Montana 8-3, 2-0    

The Grizzlies beat Northern Arizona 79-71 in overtime and Sacramento State 82-55.

At 8-3 overall and 2-0 in conference, the Grizzlies have been ultra impressive. Eastern comes in at No. 1 because it beat the assumed best team on the road and Montana won both its Big Sky games at home — where the Griz are averaging a league-high 2,586 fans per game.

    3. Idaho State 6-4, 1-1    

Beat Portland State 63-50 and then lost to Eastern 61-55.

Idaho State losing to Eastern at home was the surprise result of the opening weekend’s games. Last year, the Bengals responded to their first home loss of the season by winning nine straight.

But with 7-4 Arizona State on deck Sunday, a winning streak may have to wait until ISU picks up Big Sky play again Jan. 3 in Grand Forks, N.D., against mascot-less North Dakota.

    4. Sacramento State 5-5, 1-1    

The Hornets beat Montana State 69-65 in Bozeman, an impressive win, and they promptly followed that by losing 82-55 at Montana.

Is Sacramento State the fourth-best team in the Big Sky? I have no idea. Intuition tells me all three of the next teams are better, but the Hornets have the best win of the four.

   

    5. Northern Colorado 3-6, 1-0     

The Bears beat North Dakota 53-41 in their only conference game of the week.

And in the process, we’ve found the — I know, I know it’s early — leader for Big Sky player of the year. D’shara Strange put up 27 points — accounting for 51 percent of the Bears’ points — along with nine steals, five rebounds and three assists. She’s reason enough to put them one spot ahead of No. 6.

Why not higher? Because the Bears beat my No. 9 team and all the teams ahead of them have better or more wins in conference.

    6. Montana State 7-3, 1-1    

Lost to Sacramento State 69-65 and then beat Northern Arizona 69-52.     

The Bobcats were without leading scorer Kalli Durham, who averages 13.8 points a game, but MSU’s Latisha Adams stepped into the starting role and put up 29 points in her absence, including a career-high 16 in the win over Northern Arizona.

Is Montana State better than Northern Colorado and Portland State? Who knows but we’ll give the Bobcats the nod over both for now because of the better overall record.

    7. Portland State 6-4, 1-1    

The Vikings lost to ISU 63-50 and then beat Weber State 74-60.

Personally, I came away really impressed with the Vikings. The fact they’re at No. 7 is a sign of the Big Sky's depth this season. It looks like we’re in for a wild ride.

Oh, and I should mention that the Vikings Angela Misa followed up her 10-point, 11-rebound effort against the Bengals with 24 points and 10 rebounds at Weber State.

    8. Southern Utah 6-4, 1-0    

Beat North Dakota 60-54 on the road.

Technically, the Thunderbirds sit in third place of the conference. Perhaps I’m skeptical, maybe I’m stubborn, but it’s hard to imagine Southern Utah will stay that high as the season progresses.

But even I can’t deny the T-Birds’ this: After winning their first ever Big Sky game, Southern Utah has the highest winning percentage in conference history, ever. So there’s that.

    9. North Dakota 4-6, 0-2

Lost to Southern Utah 60-54 at home and 53-41 to Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colo.

North Dakota entered its first weekend in the Big Sky on a four-game winning streak, but after 33 turnovers in a 12-point loss to Northern Colorado, UND limped into Christmas break losers of two straight.

Adding insult to injury, after the loss to Southern Utah Dec. 20, North Dakota head coach Travis Brewster was suspended one game for criticizing the officials during a postgame radio interview.

    10. Northern Arizona 1-10, 0-2    

Lost 79-71 in overtime to Montana and then fell to Montana State 69-52.

The Lumberjacks are 1-10 so let’s focus on the positive. The Montana road trip each Big Sky team has to make — playing first in Missoula and then traveling to Bozeman or vice versa — is arguably the toughest in the league.

For example, Northern Arizona’s first game at Montana was an eight-point loss in overtime. Then the Lumberjacks traveled to Montana State and lost by 17. Sacramento State beat MSU by six and followed that up in Missoula losing by 27.

So what’s that good news? At least the Lumberjacks don’t have to do it again.

    11. Weber State 0-11, 0-2

Lost by 28 to Eastern Washington and 14 to Portland State. Both games were in Ogden. It’s going to be a long season for the Wildcats.

Three thoughts from ISU vs. Eastern Washington

Happy Holidays, folks. Let's get right to it.

Here are three observations from Idaho State's 61-55 loss to the Eastern Washington Eagles Dec. 22 in Reed Gym (and let's broaden these observations to also cover Thursday's victory over Portland state, too).

1. Embracing the role of a favorite

By both themselves and their fans, the Bengals expect to win every game they play in the Big Sky. Especially after last season when ISU went 16-2 -- including the postseason tournament -- on its way to the Women's NCAA Championship.

But that was last year and since the Bengals steamrolled through the conference, their opponents -- the Grizzlies, the Bobcats, the Bears, the Eagles and so on -- have constantly schemed, planned and formulated ways to beat ISU.

Idaho State's Big Sky opponents arrive in Cheney on a mission. Not only do they want to win a conference game but they want to knock off the champs. They respect the program head coach Seton Sobolewski has built. As such, they find extra motivation to play with an edge.

After ISU loss to Eastern Washington Saturday, both Kaela Oakes and Ashleigh Vella mentioned how in their first two conference games, they've noticed teams have stepped on Reed Gym's floor with an added  purpose.

When they hit big shots, force a turnover or win, like Eastern did, their celebrations have a little extra punch. It means something to beat the Bengals now.

And, hey, it's not like Sobolewski and the girls were caught off guard. They knew their backs had that proverbial target plastered on. But it's one thing to imagine how it'll feel to wear it and quite another to actually play with it during games.

As of now, ISU is 1-1 while donning the target. It's up them to adjust to its weight.

2. Kara Jenkins' stellar play against both the Vikings and Eagles

Against Portland State, in 36 minutes, Jenkins had six points, one rebound, two assists, one block and three steals.

Versus Eastern Washington, in 34 minutes, Jenkins finished with 10 points, two rebounds, one assist and two steals.

Not amazing numbers, I realize, but this is what Sobolewski has to say about her.

"One thing about Kara Jenkins, you won't understand the impact she makes on a basketball game by looking at a stat sheet. She's going to be the person that deflects a ball, that comes over and takes a big charge, that comes up with the big rebound, the one that dives on the floor and gets the ball back for us. The person that causes a jump ball and that gets the ball back for us. She just makes a real impact on the game on the defensive end.

Jenkins was great. She's a terror defensively and really consistent on offense, shooting a combined 5-9 from the field and 6-6 at the free throw line.

3. Time to keep things in perspective

I imagine one of things Sobolewski is thankful for this Christmas is a roster packed with five seniors and six juniors. The experience of that veteran group can keep an early-conference loss in perspective.

On a nightmarish afternoon, the Bengals shot 1-from-18 outside the arc. They caught a confident Eastern bunch that made 58 percent of its shots in the first half and had a reserve, Kylie Huerta, who had been averaging under four points a game, finish with a game-high 15 points. Hey, it's what's great about basketball. Make shots and you win. Idaho State didn't and Eastern did.

At this point, let's take an optimists' view of the situation.

Despite shooting a putrid 20 percent percent from the field, despite finishing the Eastern game with five more turnovers than assists, despite allowing 36 points in the first half and despite Ashleigh Vella's foul trouble -- she fouled out of the game with 5 minutes and 28 seconds left -- Idaho State mounted a comeback.

It's a testament to their rebounding -- 11 offensive rebounds in the second half -- their defense -- the Bengals forced 22 Eagle turnovers -- and their ability to reach the foul line -- ISU made seven more free throws than Eastern even attempted.

Thoughts from ISU vs. Portland State

Six minutes into Idaho State’s first conference game of the season, the Portland State Vikings led 9-2.

The Bengals had four turnovers, a host of missed jumpers and no momentum.

Then Lindsey Reed entered the game, and ISU outscored the Vikings 61-41 to close out its first conference win of the season.

Reed had a large hand in that — she finished with 15 points, 11 of them in the first half — but it took a solid team effort for Idaho State to pull away from a good Portland State squad.

Here are three quick observations from the Portland State game.

(And if you’re one who only likes to look forward then scroll to the bottom of this post for a quick preview of ISU’s game Saturday versus Eastern Washington that tips off at Noon.)

     1. Big Sky action is another level of intensity

For me, there’s not another team that plays harder than the Idaho State women. But add in a few hundred crazed Bengal fans clad in bright ISU orange, a band, cheerleaders, a dance team and a conference game in Reed Gym just feels different than the nonconference matchups.

Every missed shot, turnover, deep 3-pointer and foul call has an added weight to its importance.

In other words, it’s awesome.

    2. The Bengals were outrebounded 41-26 but it didn’t matter — as long as it doesn't turn into a trend

Angela Misa, Portland State’s 6-foot-1 junior transfer from Oregon State, is big and powerful underneath the basket. Her size and girth dwarfed Ashleigh Vella, Cydney Horton and Jessa Jeppesen.

Misa finished with 11 rebounds and the Vikings had 19 offensive rebounds for the game. Part of that comes from the fact that PSU was 20-of-58 from the floor (more misses = more opportunities for offensive rebounds) but, still, ISU is traditionally very strong on the boards so it has to concern Bengals head coach Seton Sobolewski.

“On the flip side, we didn’t do a very good job with offensive rebounds,” Sobolewski said. “We only got three. We’re usually one of the top two or three teams in rebounding. We didn’t look like that tonight. That’s an area we have to fix.”

But Sobolewski also pointed out that of the Vikings' 19 offensive boards, nine resulted from ISU players knocking the ball out of bounds.

“That tells me we’ve got to do a better job reeling in the ball and getting two hands on it and bringing it in,” Sobolewski said, who’s team is now 59-9 when leading at the half.   

    3. Portland State is a replica of ISU in many ways

PSU defenders are aggressive on defense. They crouch low in their defensive stances and get right up into the ball-handlers' chest.

Portland State head coach Sherri Murrell — a career Big Sky record of 53-28 after the loss Thursday night — preaches a physical style of play, and she places an emphasis on maximizing her team’s possessions. Meaning that while the Vikings will look to get out in the open court and score quickly, their guards will also pull up and run the offense to find the best shot possible. Sound familiar?

Those are all traits Sobolewski preaches and it resulted in a bruising basketball game. The Bengals and Vikings beat each other up. Will that affect Saturday's game for ISU?

Alright, let’s take a quick look at Big Sky game number two against the Eastern Washington Eagles. And let’s do it in bullet/fact style!    

• The Eagles lost nearly 50 percent of its scoring from a year ago after Big Sky MVP Brianne Ryan and second-team all-Big Sky point Chene Cooper graduated.

• Lexie Nelson, a transfer from Montana, is EWU’s leading scorer. She’s averaging 15.2 points a game. Aubrey Ashenfelter and Carrie Ojeda — both starters last year — are chipping in about 10 a game. Sobolewski seemed particularly impressed with Nelson saying “She was only a freshman at Montana and she was going to be a great player, She transferred and sitting out a year is always a great thing. As a player it kind of sucks to sit out a year but you mature, you practice, your body develops a little bit more and you adjust to the level of play better after sitting out a year.” Sobolewski said Nelson is playing with extreme confidence, but he’s been impressed with their bigs, too.

• Eastern is 4-5 overall and 1-0 in the Big Sky after defeating Weber State in Ogden 88-60 Dec. 20.

• EWU and ISU have two similar opponents this season. The Eagles played Carroll College in an exhibition game back in early November and beat the Fighting Saints 65-38, and on Dec. 7, Eastern traveled to Boise and beat the Broncos 74-63.

The Poky boys are not like my high school team and that’s a good thing

You know those romantic comedies Hollywood cranks out that are just terrible despite the fact they’re filled with big-name celebrities like Gerard Butler, Jessica Biel, Uma Thurman and Dennis Quaid — ladies and gentlemen, it’s “Playing for Keeps”!

How can a movie that has actors and actresses who have done movies like “Pulp Fiction,” “Kill Bill” and “Traffic” find themselves in such despondent, awful garbage?

(Oh, right. Money.)

Well, anyway, my high school team certainly didn’t play basketball for money or the possibility of fame. But we were a lot like those Hollywood films. We had a ton of talent, yet we were absolutely terrible.

I’m eight years removed from those dark days, and I can have a semblance of perspective now. There were few teams in my district that had more pure, unadulterated, ability than we did but we lost, lost and lost.

Chalk it up to poor team chemistry, even worse coaching and an overall apathetic attitude.

I’ve attempted to bury those memories on the court in the deep recesses of my mind. But this basketball season, the Pocatello boys are giving me reason to go back, look at my team’s waste of talent and appreciate what they’re accomplishing.

That’s because in spite of taking the floor with big men that resemble guards, and having to replace five starters from last year, Indians head coach Lee Ralphs has done a masterful job in the early going patching together a solid and improving basketball team.

Pocatello is 3-5 overall and 1-1 in the 4A Fifth/Sixth District after Wednesday night’s thrilling 61-60 overtime victory over the Blackfoot Broncos in the Palace.

No, not a stellar win-loss record. But consider this: The Indians lost by six points to Highland, the sixth-ranked team in 5A. Two other losses are both on the road. One was to the top-ranked Bonneville Bees and another to the No. 4 Madison Bobcats.

It’s a teams stuffed with juniors and seniors on its roster, many of whom are playing varsity for the first time. But they have something innate, something from the gut that my high school team lacked. It’s a brawler’s attitude. It’s a never say uncle sensibility that I can only attribute to Ralphs and his staff.

Like I said, it’s team that lacks size. Garrett Holmes and Josh Christensen are forwards by title but in reality they lack the height and power typically found in the 4A ranks. And for the most part, the bench is lined with guards.

Once a couple players from last year’s team who do have some height decided to skip basketball this season and concentrate on other sports, Ralphs knew the Indians would struggle underneath the basket.

But it’s been a joy to watch Ralphs and his kids adjust.

Against Blackfoot — which deploys a behemoth 6-foot-3-inch center, Austin Campbell, who knows how to use every ounce of this 235-pound frame — Holmes and Christensen combined for 23 points using their ability to spread the floor with shooting.

“I mean we can’t just sit on the block and try to post up,” Ralphs said. “Now, we still try to post up in spots but we don’t have the bulk to do that.”

And, no, the Indians aren’t going to out rebound many teams but, “We’ve kept it close most games,” Ralphs said.

It’s a squad that competes and recognizes what it’s best at. Seniors Brennen Leischner, Easton Ralphs, Spencer Jessee, Colton Belnap and Daehan Jang are all guards and wings who do their part crashing the boards.

They’re a group that’s set a winning standard. Twice I’ve covered home wins for the Indians and immediately following the game, players said it was important to win games at home early in the season to keep fans interested.

Well, I’m interested. Pocatello isn’t the most talented team in the state — or even the city of Pocatello, for that matter — but it’s crew that fights for one another.

If my high school team was a smattering of basketball talent that was like a terrible romantic comedy then the 2012-13 Pocatello Indians have the chance to turn into a small, Indie film that captures the public’s imagination while lacking the $20 million dollar movie star.

Pocatello goes for its second conference win tonight at Rigby (2-4, 1-0).

Ranking the Big Sky contenders

    Seton Sobolewski and the Idaho State women have been clear about it from the start.
    To get back in the Women’s NCAA Championship, step one is winning the Big Sky Conference’s regular season — just like last year.
    The regular season champion is rewarded the No. 1 seed and the right to host the postseason tournament.
    How important is home-court advantage in the Big Sky postseason tournament? For the past decade, six times the regular season champion has won, and since it started in 1983, the host school has won 23 times.
    The Bengals have been particularly good in Reed Gym since Sobolewski arrived in Pocatello, winning 76 percent of their games. Throw his first year at Idaho State out — the Bengals were 11-20 overall and 4-7 at home — and the winning percentage jumps to 86 percent (that’s a 38-6 record).
    The point is, the opportunity to host the Big Sky Tournament is both fun and valuable. It’s not absolutely necessary to win a championship — Idaho State went to Missoula, Mont., back in 2007 and won — but it sure doesn’t hurt.
    With the goal in mind that everyone in the conference is chasing the postseason’s No. 1 seed, let’s rank ISU’s Big Sky opponents from least likely to most likely to knock off the Bengals for the regular season crown — and the all important opportunity to host the tournament.
      
    10. Weber State 0-9
    The Wildcats were 2-27     and 0-16 in the conference last year. Through nine games this season, Weber State is being outscored 24 points a game.

    9. Northern Arizona 1-8
    NAU senior Amy Patton is the conference’s leading scorer with 21.0 points per game, including 41 against Bradley Nov. 24.
    She can score, no doubt about that. Unfortunately for the Lumberjacks, only Weber’s defense gives up more points a contest.

    8. Southern Utah 5-4
    The Thunderbirds were 6-23 last season. That’s the bad news. Good news is that Southern Utah returned all five of its starters from a year ago.
    The results? The Thunderbirds have nearly matched last year’s win total and no team scores more points a game (72) than Southern Utah.

    7. North Dakota 4-4
    North Dakota has three national championships at Division II and in three seasons in the Great West, UND was 28-6.
    Add in a four-game winning streak and mascot-less North Dakota is riding a wave of momentum into its first conference game of the season home against Southern Utah Thursday.

    6. Eastern Washington 3-5
    Off last year’s squad, the Eagles lost starting point guard Chene Cooper and Big Sky player of the year Brianne Ryan.
    But 6-foot-1-inch starting center Carrie Ojeda, 10 points and 9.3 rebounds a game and Montana transfer Lexie Nelson, second in the conference scoring 15.4 a clip, have filled in nicely.
    But I put EWU at No. 6 because in the significant statistical categories, the Eagles fit right in the middle.
  
    5. Sacramento State 4-4
    Idaho State grinds out wins with a smothering, physical defense. As far as style of play is concerned, the Hornets of Sacramento are the exact opposite.
    Only Southern Utah scores more points than Sac. State who press constantly and are at their best when the game is played at a breakneck speed.
    Despite the hectic style though, Sacramento State is second in the Big Sky for turnover margin and no team averages more assists.
    Out-of-conference victories includes Oregon State and Cal State Bakersfield on the road and Utah Valley at home.

    4. Portland State 5-3
    The Vikings are Idaho State’s first conference opponent Thursday in Reed Gym at 7 p.m.  
    PSU has had some notable non-conference victories. On Nov. 15, the Vikings beat Oregon in Eugene 87-85 in double overtime. And Portland State has defeated Butler and Portland.
    Statistically, PSU is solid across the board. The Vikings     are fourth in scoring margin,  third in free throw percentage, fifth in rebounding margin and only ISU has a better field goal percentage defense.
    And Portland State has a go-to scorer in Courtney VanBrocklin. She averages 14.5 points a contest while shooting 51 percent from the field. Along with VanBrocklin’s scoring, Angela Misa, an Oregon State transfer, is second in the conference, rebounding 11 a game.
    The Vikings will provide a stern test in the Bengals’ first conference game.

    3. Northern Colorado 2-6
    I have a sneaky suspicion the Bears of NCU are ISU’s biggest threat. Northern Colorado has a lousy record but chalk that up to games at Colorado State, Utah, San Diego, Denver, Wichita State and Texas Tech.
    The Bears defense, allowing 59.6 points a game, has been good but it’s the offense  that’s been terrible. NCU is scoring a measly 50.9 points a game.
    So why put them as high as No. 3? Well, first, I’m stubborn. I had the Bears at No. 2 in the my preseason poll and after watching the Big Sky defensive player of the year D’shara Strange last year, I’m convinced Northern Colorado is a force to reckon with in conference play.  By the way, Strange is averaging 14.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.8 steals a game.

    2. Montana State 6-2
    The Bobcats were the only Big Sky team to beat Idaho State in Reed Gym in 2011-12. MSU’s Katie Bussey caught fire and scored 41 points.
    Even though Bussey is gone to graduation, Montana State remains as one of the top team’s because of players like Rachel Semansky, Kalli Durham and Ashley Brumwell. All three average double figures.
    The Bobcats are a well-rounded squad. They’re third in scoring offense and third in scoring defense.

    1. Montana 6-3
    Are the Grizzlies really ISU’s biggest threat to take away the postseason’s No. 1 seed? Really, I have no idea. I can tell you that entering the year Montana had all five starters back from 2011-12.
    And I can tell you that the Lady Griz have  claimed 19 Big Sky championships. Idaho State has the second most with three. I’m hesitant to place the Griz anywhere else.

Thoughts from ISU vs. Carroll College

    From the moment the final buzzer blew in last year’s Big Sky Championship game, the Idaho State women’s title defense began.
    And now we’re ready to see it play out.
    Of course, after the Bengals beat Northern Colorado 49-46 March 10  in Reed Gym — in a good ol’ drag out, knock down, punch one another in the face kind of battle — ISU still had its game against Miami  in the first round of the Women’s NCAA Championship, a 70-41 loss as it turned out.
    But think about it. With 13 returning players from the 2011-12 roster, expectations of a title defense were immediate. And why not? With players like Lindsey Reed, Ashleigh Vella, Kaela Oakes and Cydney Horton.
    The time to initiate the quest for the postseason’s No. 1 seed — and the right to host the tournament — starts Thursday back in Reed Gym against the Portland State Vikings.
    Here are three observation that stuck out to me from Friday night’s 70-38 demolition of the Carroll College Fighting Saints.

    1. Man, were the Bengals prepared to play the Saints

    After the game, Sobolewski said his team knew exactly what Carroll wanted to accomplish on offense. They had watched film, studied and prepared for the Saints like it was one of the biggest games on the schedule.
    Undoubtedly, the Bengals wanted to wash the taste out of their mouths after the closer-than-it-was-supposed-to-be 69-67 victory over Utah Valley.
    “It didn’t feel like we played at the right level against Utah Valley,” Sobolewski said. “We felt like that we didn’t follow the scouting report very well. We didn’t defend the on ball screen very well. We didn’t rebound very well and so we really wanted to concentrate on those things and make sure those things were sharp going into conference next week.”
    The Vikings of Utah Valley, out of the Great West Conference, entered the game with a 2-8 record and with just over five minutes left ISU held a 15-point lead. But inexplicably, the Bengals gave up a season-high 67 points and had to hold on for the two-point win.
    The matchup against Carroll College was an opportunity to prove to themselves that they’re ready for Big Sky competition. There was absolutely no overlooking the NAIA team from Helena, Mont.
    The Bengals out-rebounded Carroll 37-19 — limiting the Saints to one offensive board — forced 21 turnovers that they converted into 28 points. And ISU outscored Carroll 28-14 in the paint.
   
    2. Kaela Oakes, the engine that drives ISU’s offense, found a rhythm

    The senior point guard missed the Utah Valley game with a concussion, and while she said she felt a little out of shape after the game Friday night, Sobolewski thought she looked fresh. Her feet and hands were active on defense and offensively, Oakes found a nice groove.
    She tied a season high with 16 points, shooting 7-of-11 from the field and 2-of-2 from beyond the arc, in 20 minutes.
    “She suffered a mild, mild concussion but that time off also rested her legs, and that makes a big difference in terms of being a good shooter,” Sobolewski said.
    Oakes had been struggling with confidence offensively. Entering the game against Carroll, she was shooting 23 percent from the floor and averaging 7.7 points per game. For comparison, she shot 38 percent and averaged 11.3 points a contest last season.
    And not only is Oakes playing well but in the last couple games, Sobolewski has found another point guard, too.
    Junior Sheryl Bitter started against Utah Valley because Oakes and Blaire Brady were out, and she’s played well in both games.
    Against the Saints, Bitter was 3-of-4 from the field for nine points. From my perspective getting minutes on the floor against Utah Valley and Carroll boosted Bitter’s confidence. When in for Oakes, she seemed to take command of the offense with nerve I hadn’t seen earlier.
    What does it mean for Idaho State? Just that behind Oakes, Sobolewski can turn to Blaire Brady when she’s back or Bitter. The Bengals have depth at point guard, always a valuable asset in a long, conference season.

    3. Abyee Maracigan is coming on strong
   
    Starting for an injured Lindsey Reed, Maracigan had a career-high 12 points and she chipped in seven boards and two steals in 31 minutes. This was a follow-up performance to here eight point, 10 rebound effort against Utah Valley.
    Again, developing a bench for the 20-game conference schedule is absolutely crucial.
    “You could see me even at the end of the game still barking at people because it’s the bench kids,” Sobolewksi said. “You’re trying to get them to play at a certain level. So when they’re called upon in more of a crucial situation, maybe a conference game, they’re ready to go.”
    So is Idaho State, 5-3 for the season, ready to defend its Big Sky title?
    “If you’d asked me that question after the Utah Valley game, I probably would have said no,” Sobolewski said. “But after tonight’s game, and how hard how played doing the things we had to do right, I feel like we’re ready.”
    Idaho State plays host to Portland State Thursday at 7 p.m. and Eastern Washington Saturday at 12 p.m.
    Let the quest for a championship begin.

Sometimes a harsh reality is forced upon us

On a whim, I decided to become a sports writer because my world revolves around athletics.

Whether it’s basketball, football, soccer, you name it, sports has always been the most important thing in my life.

Directly out of college, I was a banker and I quickly grew tired of viewing the world — the sports universe you could call it — from an outsider’s perspective. I needed, no I had to get in the middle of it.

Once coming to the Idaho State Journal, questions about whether Blackfoot could repeat as 4A state football champions or if the Idaho State women can replicate the same magic from last season were of the utmost importance.

I think about those things day after day. They’re all encompassing. President Obama or Governor Romney? No thanks, I’ll worry about Notre Dame or Alabama.

I probably care too much. Just ask my wife. Like any fan, I’m  despondent when my teams lose. Games and leagues, fabricated only to make a profit, have grown, evolved into ... into ... life or death.

But then something like what happened in Connecticut shifts my perspective. Life is ripped into a sharp focus.

The games that mean so much fade into the background.   

I call my mom who I haven’t seen in months to say hi.

I tell my wife how much I love her.

Hell, I even appreciate my cat more.

And I’m heartbroken that someone could walk into an elementary school and kill 26 people.

And I’m ashamed. Ashamed I ever assumed a basketball team or a sport could matter so much.

I search for meaning.

I wonder how I could cover a game like Idaho State versus Carroll College. Does it matter?

I became a sports writer to immerse myself in the very center of the things I value most. Then a psycho shatters my false reality.

I question myself. I ask questions of my life, of all human lives. They’re too big to grasp. I have no answers, of course.

So I go cover a basketball game.

I’m watching to see how the Bengals have improved from the last time I saw them play in an exhibition matchup against Colorado State-Pueblo. In Carroll’s previous game, senior Weber State-transfer Megan Patterson had 28 points in 29 minutes. Can ISU slow her down?

And pretty quickly my mind absorbs the game, the rhythm of play.

Thousands of miles removed from the shooting in Newtown, Conn., I move on with no direct attachments.

Soon, I suppose, the games will move back to the forefront of my mind. I’ll fool myself again that a win or a loss on a schedule holds some kind of meaning. That’s life isn’t it? We have to move on.

Which is easy for me to say. Those left in the brutal, unrelenting wake of the tragedy will never again view their lives the same way.

I move on but I do it begrudgingly. There’s a sadness in my heart. I hope the next time my team loses, a referee makes a bad call or a player has a boneheaded play, I remember one thing: It’s just a game.

Century vs. Pocatello was good, let’s do it again

Ah, the life of a journalist, forever writing on deadline. It does wonders for focus but sometimes the ticking clock prohibits a young, I’d like to think improving sports writer from fully capturing and celebrating a great game.

It all happened Tuesday night at Century High School when the Diamondbacks beat the Indians 49-45 in overtime.

Wait, wait, before I relive some moments from the game, I should first explain what was at stake.

The Pocatello Indians were 3-4 overall and 2-0 in the 4A Fifth/Sixth District. The Century Diamondbacks were also 2-0 in district play but 4-3 for the year and ranked No. 5 in the 4A poll.

In a 10-game district schedule, this matchup is only a blip on an entire season, but still, one team would walk away with its first conference loss of the year.

I’d like to think that in certain aspects, both teams can take away some positives from the night.

"In any game, there’s always some positives and always some negatives,” said Pocatello head coach Laraine Cook. “We can focus on taking away what we did well tonight and also what we didn’t do and fix those for the next game.”

It was an even matchup throughout with nine lead changes and seven ties. It was 7-7 after the first, 20-20 at half, 29-28 Pocatello to start the fourth and 40-all heading into overtime.

Along the way, heroes emerged from both sides.

For Pocatello, it was senior wing Abby Jones. Not necessarily a sharpshooter, Jones had two big threes late in the fourth quarter that jump-started an Indians’ comeback and tied the game at 38-38.

When she banked in a 3-pointer from the left wing to start the overtime period, I thought to myself, “OK, it’s her night. The Indians just have something tonight.”

But I was dead wrong because Henny Hearn’s height and her power at the rim was just too much for Pocatello. She had a quick 7-0 run in overtime that provided a crucial four-point lead with a 1:56 left.

Her last basket felt like the proverbial dagger.

Century point guard Sarah Holt stole the ball, raced down to the other end and eventually the rock worked its way to Hearn under the basket.

While in the air for the layup, Hearn drew contact as she finished. She knocked down the free throw for her 16th point of the night.

“I’ll tell you what, we came alive in overtime,” said Century head coach Chris Shuler. “Henny came alive. ... They couldn’t stop her and we finished it from there.”

Not to sound fulsome in my appreciation for Hearn’s play, but the D-backs won their fifth game of the season and third district game, because she came alive in overtime.

(All I’ve talked about is her play offensively. I could mention how she had a key block with 30 seconds left and Century up 47-45.)

Ultimately, this game is simply one of the 20 plus games both Pocatello and Century will play before the season ends. And this had to have been a tough one to swallow for the Indians, but these two will see each other again.

“We knew [the] city, cross-town rival was going to be a tough game,” Shuler said. “It always is with Poky. They’re a great team. We battle with them every single year, and we’ll battle with them all year. This is only the first one.”

At some point, the game will fade away in memory. We’ll look back on it in time as just an early season, tough December district game that Century pulled out in the end.

But let the record show that myself and perhaps a few others in the area were there, and we’ll remember it for Jones’ deep threes, her half-court shot that rimmed in and out at the buzzer, Henny Hearn’s big second half and a matchup where no one could gain a decisive advantage.

The D-backs and Indians, sadly, don’t clash again until the season finale Jan. 24, this time at Pocatello High School.

But the Indians are back in action tonight at 7:30 p.m. against Preston in the Palace. And Century, going for its fourth-straight win, welcomes Blackfoot at 7:30 p.m.
       

Sports rivalries are just a beautiful thing that we should all enjoy

Growing up in Montana, I know my rivalries.   

Montana State versus Montana (Cat-Griz, Brawl of the Wild) is a beautiful, wonderful thing. Since it began in 1897, it permeates the state at all levels.

And after I spent some time in the Northwest, I came close and personal to the Apple Cup (Washington State vs. Washington) and the Civil War (Oregon State, Oregon).

I’m not here to tell you one is better than the other. That’s ridiculous and it drives me crazy to hear anyone spout off how one rivalry (say the Iron Bowl) is “the best” in sports.

Does anyone really know if a Yankees’ fan has more vengeful, psychotic dislike of the Red Sox than a Buckeye does of a Wolverine?

It’s a pointless, utterly frustrating exercise in futility to argue one way or the other. I’m not interested in comparing rivalries and picking the best one. No my friends, I’m here to celebrate them, embrace the mutual dislike and revel in the antagonistic nature of a truly heated rivalry.

Really, there isn’t anything better than walking into a packed football stadium or gym and feel the pre-game buzz.   

Last week the only place to be was at Blackfoot High School. The Broncos, 1-2 at that point and in desperate need of a confidence boost, hosted the 1-0, second-ranked Snake River Panthers.

It was a magnificent game. Not so much because of the product on the court — both teams looked helter-skelter at times, natural for a game early in the season — but both fought for 32 minutes with great effort.

Like any great basketball matchup it was a game of runs, and neither could grab a decided advantage.

At least not until the very end. McKye Watt, with the scored tied 45-45, found himself wide open in the left corner and buried a 3-pointer. Next possession, another three, this time from the other corner.   

Prior to those two treys, Snake River had recovered from an eight-point deficit, but in just two possessions the Panthers’ fate was sealed.

As the denizens slowly emptied the gym, I’d imagine everyone was looking forward to the next meeting Dec. 21 at Snake River High School.

Of course, one rivalry that everyone in this area looks forward to is Highland vs. Pocatello.

The “USA Today High School Sports” is running a contest right now to determine the nation’s best high school football rivalry.

Now this contest, ironically enough, is asking two opponents, who want nothing more than to beat each other’s head in, to work together and vote at http://contest.usatodayhss.com.

And I’ve already said that I want to embrace all rivalries. But, folks, if Highland vs. Pocatello is named the nations’ top high school football rivalry, the winner receives a cool $10,000 — split evenly between the two schools.

Now the Rams and Indians have already advanced to the regional competition by winning the state of Idaho (receiving nearly 63 percent of the votes).   

But in the regional competition, Highland-Pocatello is losing badly to schools from Arizona and Wyoming.

It’s time to vote. Right now. It ends at 9 a.m. today.

Just remember, there is no such thing as “the best” rivalry. They’re all great and we as sports’ fans benefit from the passions worked up from two rivals butting heads.
   
   
   
   

If Eastern can do it in Cheney, why can’t ISU in Pocatello?

It’s a basic human response to imagine someone else’s success derives from an innate natural ability or some kind of an external advantage that you, yourself lack.

If a coworker gets the raise, it’s not because she deserved it but that your talent was somehow overlooked.

Or back in high school, your destiny to star for the basketball team never came true but not because there was a missing work ethic. No, that other guy was just born with more God-given talent.

Excuses for failing to reach one’s expectations are as abundant as touchdown passes from Drew Brees.

The same type of rationalization applies to Idaho State’s football program. The Bengals are unable to field a competitive football team because the university lacks the appropriate football facilities or stadium that other Big Sky members have.

The only options, therefore, either move to a lower-tier division or spend money to upgrade or replace Holt Arena. Then and only then, the flawed thinking goes, can Idaho State begin to attract top level recruits.

Well, that’s hogwash.

And the proof is Eastern Washington, the best football program in the Big Sky Conference.

Eastern sits in Cheney, Wash., a town with a population of 10,500 that resides about 25 minutes outside of Spokane.

For a time, I lived just outside of Cheney’s city limits. Besides the university, the obligatory fast-food and grocery store chains, there’s nothing there.

During the football season in the fall, Eastern Washington itself is largely overlooked by Spokane because of Washington State’s proximity — an hour away in Pullman — and during basketball season, it’s all about the nation’s favorite Cinderella team, the Gonzaga Bulldogs.

Besides Southern Utah, Eastern has the Big Sky’s lowest enrollment and one of the smallest endowments too.

From an outsider’s perspective, EWU is a commuter school. Every morning there’s a long line of cars as people slowly snake their way from Spokane to Cheney to attend class. Then they quickly shuffle back to their cars and drive straight back.

Let me impress upon you the point that Eastern Washington has no inherent advantages over Idaho State — unless football recruits somehow find a red field inexorably enticing.

With a relatively small enrollment and a third-tier status in its own area, the Eagles’ football team has managed to win or share four Big Sky Championships since 2004.

And Eastern has made the FCS playoffs six times in the last nine years.

Along with team success, few programs have had more individuals with as much hardware. Quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell won the 2011 Walter Payton Award, the FCS version of the Heisman, and he was the second Eagle to claim that trophy — Erik Meyer won back in 2005.

On the defensive side, two Eastern players won the Buck Buchanan Award for the nation’s top defensive player.

Eastern players have been selected as the Big Sky Conference Offensive

MVP in eight of the last 12 seasons.

For years and years, Montana was the class of the Big Sky, but no more. Eastern is the top program, and now the Eagles are into the 2012 FCS semifinals after beating Illinois State 51-35 in Cheney Saturday night.

EWU is the only Big Sky team still standing and hosts last year’s runner-up, the Sam Houston Bearkats, in the semifinals.

Just remember Bengal fans, Eastern Washington hasn’t achieved its success with state-of-the-art locker rooms or some special formula ISU is incapable of duplicating.