Weber State University Athletics
Wildcats Host Idaho State Friday
1/29/2008 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Wildcats close out first half of Big Sky Friday vs. ISU
Weber State will return home and close out the first half of the Big Sky regular season this week when the ?Cats host Idaho State Friday at the Dee Events Center. Weber State is 8-11 overall and 2-5 in Big Sky Conference play, following a 75-63 loss at Northern Arizona last Saturday. Idaho State comes into the game with a 13-6 overall and a 5-2 Big Sky record.
Big Sky standings update
Portland State and Montana are tied a top the Big Sky standings with 5-1 conference records and the two teams will meet this Thursday in Missoula. Idaho State currently is in third place in the league standings at 5-2 followed by Northern Colorado and Montana State. With the win over Weber State Saturday, Northern Arizona moved ahead of the Wildcats and into sixth place in the league standings. The Wildcats are currently tied with Sacramento State for seventh place at 2-5.Tonya Schnibbe leads WSU at NAU
WSU sophomore Tonya Schnibbe finished with 14 points on 6-12 shooting to lead the Wildcats in the loss at NAU Saturday. It marked the second time this season Schnibbe has led the Wildcats in scoring. On the year she is averaging 5.9 points per game and ranks second in the Big Sky in assists at 5.0 per game. Schnibbe is also second in assist/turnover ratio and fourth in the league in steals.
Turnovers costly again for Wildcats
The Wildcats committed 22 turnovers in Saturday's loss to the Lumberjacks, tying a season-high. WSU ranks rank third in the league for fewest turnovers at 16.5 per game. However, they are 0-10 this season when committing more turnovers than their opponents and they are 8-1 when they have less turnovers. In all five Big Sky losses the Wildcats have had more turnovers than their opponents, and in both wins they have had fewer turnovers.Sara Tuomi posts another double-double
WSU senior Sara Tuomi scored in double figures for the 19th time this season Saturday when she finished with 12 points and also added nine rebounds in WSU's loss at Northern Arizona. In the game Tuomi was 1-9 from the field but a perfect 10-10 from the free throw line. She has now made 21 straight free throws and has moved into seventh place in Weber State history for career free throws with 337. The senior from Billings, Montana ranks fourth in the Big Sky in scoring and sixth in rebounding. Tuomi also ranks third in free throw percentage at 87.7 percent.
60 points still the magic number
WSU allowed 75 points to NAU Saturday and dropped to 0-10 this season when giving up 60 or more points a game. The ?Cats are 8-1 this year when holding their opponents under 60 points.
WSU first in defense, last in offense
WSU leads the Big Sky in scoring defense at 61.9 points per game but also ranks last in the conference in scoring offense at 58.6 points a game. Since ISU leads the conference in scoring offense at 75.5 points per game, Friday's game will feature the Big Sky's best offense against the best defense.
?Cats return home looking for conference victory
Weber State is 0-3 at home in Big Sky Conference games this season, the first time they have lost their first three home conference games since 1993 when they started 0-5 at home.
Wildcats welcome Bengals Friday
Weber State returns to the Dee Events Center this week to host the Idaho State Bengals Friday, February 1 in the only game of the week. The game will begin at 7:00 p.m. and will be broadcast live on KWCR 88.1 FM with Eric Knighton calling the action. Audio and live stats of the game are available at weberstatesports.com and the game will be broadcast live at bigskytv.org.
Quiet two weeks ahead for Wildcats
The Wildcats will have just one game in each of the next two weeks. They will play just two games in a span of 18 days, following last Saturday's game at NAU. After hosting the Bengals this week in the only game, WSU will travel to Northern Colorado next Thursday for the only game next week as they begin the second half of Big Sky play.
About Idaho State
Idaho State enters this week's game with a 13-6 overall record an a 5-2 record in Big Sky play. The Bengals are coming off two games last week where they lost at Northern Arizona and won at Sacramento State.
ISU leads the Big Sky in scoring offense at 75.5 points per game, which also ranks 16th in the nation. However, they are seventh in the conference in scoring defense, giving up 71.2 a game. The Bengals lead the nation in free throw percentage at 82.3 percent and they are second in the country in three-point field goals made per game at 8.3. ISU is also first in the Big Sky in assist/turnover ratio and defensive rebounds, and second in assists and three-point field goal percentage.
The Bengals are led by senior center Natalie Doma who leads the Big Sky in scoring and rebounding. Doma is second in the nation in scoring at 24.7 points per game and ranks fourth in rebounding at 11.8 per game. She is currently second in Big Sky history in career scoring. Doma, who also is second in the Big Sky in field goal percentage, was just added to the National Player of the Year watch list. She is the only player in the country in the top ten in both scoring and rebounding.
In addition to Doma, senior Andrea Lightfoot is fifth in the Big Sky in scoring at 15.7 points per game and ranks second in the league in three-pointers made per game and free throw percentage.
Head coach Jon Newlee
ISU is coached by Jon Newlee who is in his sixth season with the team and has an all-time record of 86-78. Last year the Bengals won the Big Sky Tournament and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Newlee has a career record of 6-6 all-time against Weber State, while WSU head coach Carla Taylor is 21-20 in her career against Idaho State.
All-time seriesWeber State leads the all-time series 39-24 over Idaho State but the Bengals have won the last three meetings and five of the last six games played. ISU swept the season series last year and WSU's last win came in the semifinals of the Big Sky Tournament in Pocatello in March 2006. In games in Ogden Weber State leads 20-10 all-time but the Bengals have won the last two games played in Ogden.
Looking ahead
After Friday's game the ?Cats will be off until next Thursday when they begin the second half of the Big Sky season at Northern Colorado on Thursday, February 7.
