Idaho State vs. North Dakota preview

The predicted high for Grand Forks, N.D., today is nine degrees and there’s a 50 percent chance of snow.

So let’s take a moment and appreciate the balmy, by comparison, 35 degrees in Pocatello today.

Of course, it’ll be much warmer in Reed Gym, especially around 2 p.m. when Idaho State and North Dakota tipoff in what’s a crucial Big Sky matchup.

I love bullet points like Manti Te‘o loves (or loved) his fake girlfriend, so let’s use a few to think about North Dakota. ...

• UND is 5-0 when it turns the ball over 15 times or less this year.  

• When North Dakota beat ISU 64-59 earlier this season, it was UND’s first-ever Big Sky win.

• In the first matchup, 6-foot junior Madi Buck paced UND with 18 points and seven rebounds. Nicole Smart, a senior guard and the team’s captain, was the only other player from North Dakota in double figures with 12.

• Idaho State shot 35.5 percent in that game and 5-for-17 from the 3-point line.

• Lindsey Reed — who was 0-for-9 Thursday night against North Dakota — was ISU’s leading scorer against UND, putting up 18 points on 19 shots.

• Reed had a rough night against the Bears Thursday, and it continues a trend. The junior wing was 3-for-13 against Montana and 3-for-10 versus Montana State. For those of you prefer to ignore math (or simple addition), Reed has converted six of her last 32 attempts (19 percent), and she’s scored 17 points — total.

• Still, though, Reed is ISU’s second-leading scorer at 10.9 points a game. Ashleigh Vella is first (12.4) and Kaela Oakes is third (10.3).

• Speaking of Vella, she’s been spectacular as of late.

• Vella has scored in double figures in seven of the Bengals’ last eight games. She had 22 against Montana State and 18 in the loss Thursday. And in that span, Vella is shooting 48 percent from the floor.

A few last notes ...

Player to watch from UND: Madi Buck, averaging 11.1 points and 7.5 boards a game

Injury note: Six-foot-5 center Emily Evers missed UND’s last game at Weber State Thursday. She has a hurt ankle. Unclear if the sophomore center will play against ISU today.

On another injury note, UND’s Katie Houdek (averaging about 15 minutes a game) is not traveling with a team because of an injury.