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.
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