Huskers to Battle Bengals Sunday

Nebraska Cornhuskers (1-0)

vs. Idaho State Bengals (1-0)

Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020, 5 p.m. (CT)

Pinnacle Bank Arena (15,000) – Lincoln, Neb.

Live Video: B1G Network+
Live Radio: Husker Sports Network (4:45 p.m.)
Matt Coatney (PBP), Jeff Griesch (Analyst)
Lincoln (B107.3 FM); Omaha (ESPN 590 AM)
Huskers.com, Huskers App, TuneIn

Huskers Battle Bengals in Showdown of Sisters

The Nebraska women’s basketball team completes its 2020-21 season-opening weekend by playing host to Idaho State on Sunday at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Tip-off against the Bengals (1-0) is set for 5 p.m. (CT).

Due to Big Ten Conference policies and local directed health measures, no fans will be permitted inside Pinnacle Bank Arena. A live video stream will be available to subscribers of B1G Network+ with free live radio available on the Husker Sports Network with Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch on the call.

Nebraska is coming off a 90-61 season-opening win over Oral Roberts on Friday night at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Six Huskers scored in double figures for the Big Red in the opener, including all five of Nebraska’s returning players from a year ago against ORU.

Sophomore Isabelle Bourne nearly notched her first career double-double with 14 points and nine rebounds while making her first career start against Oral Roberts. Bourne will lead the Huskers against an extremely experienced Idaho State team that features her older sister, Callie, who averaged 12.0 and 6.6 rebounds a year ago for a Bengal team that finished 18-13.

Sophomore Trinity Brady led the Huskers in her first career start with career highs of 15 points and five rebounds. Brady went 3-for-3 from three-point range to help the Huskers finish the night 7-for-15 from beyond the arc.

Nebraska’s three-time Lisa Leslie Award candidate Kate Cain notched her 13th career double-double with 14 points and game highs of 11 rebounds and six blocked shots against ORU. Cain increased her Nebraska career record total to 286 blocks.

Sam Haiby was also strong and steady in Nebraska’s opening-night victory with 14 points, a career-high-tying eight rebounds and seven assists. Haiby, a 5-9 junior guard who joins Cain as returning starters for the Huskers, had 14 points, seven rebounds and seven assists through three quarters against ORU.

Nebraska sophomore guard Makenzie Helms added a career-high 10 points – all in the second half against ORU. Helms’ second half matched her season point total from a year ago.

Freshman Annika Stewart rounded out the Huskers in double figures against ORU with 12 points and seven rebounds off the bench. Stewart, a 6-3 forward, hit the first five shots of her career, including a pair of three-pointers.

Scouting Idaho State 

Coach Seton Sobolewski brings his Idaho State Bengals to Lincoln with a 1-0 record after an impressive 85-61 season-opening win over Utah State in Pocatello, Idaho on Nov. 28. 

The Bengals, who finished 18-13 last season including a 13-7 Big Sky Conference record, have had a pair of regular-season games canceled this year because of complications caused by COVID-19, including their scheduled opener against Montana Tech (Nov. 25, Pocatello) and a scheduled Wednesday night home game against Utah Valley (Dec. 2).

Sobolewski, who owns 210 career wins during his 13 seasons at Idaho State, brings an extremely experienced team with him to Lincoln. The Bengals return their top nine scorers from a year ago and feature a starting five who are all in at least their third year at Idaho State. That starting five also represents five different countries (Australia, Croatia, France, Spain, USA).

Redshirt senior Dora Goles (Croatia) was Idaho State’s top scorer a year ago, averaging 12.7 points, including 40.8 percent (69-169) shooting from three-point range. Goles added 4.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.1 steals as a second-team All-Big Sky pick. The 5-7 guard who attended Western Wyoming Junior College before transferring to Idaho State, opened with 24 points against Utah State. 

Junior Callie Bourne (Australia) also returns as Idaho State’s No. 2 scorer (12.0 ppg) and leading rebounder (6.6 rpg) a year ago. In her first season as a full-time starter, the older sister of Nebraska’s Isabelle Bourne added 1.9 assists and 1.3 steals per game. As a freshman, Callie Bourne made 20 starts for the Bengals and averaged 4.1 points and 3.6 rebounds. Bourne opened her junior season with four points and eight rebounds in a win over Utah State.

The Bengals also welcome the return of 5-10 guard Estefania Ors (Spain). The fifth-year player and three-time All-Big Sky selection averaged 11.3 points and 4.7 rebounds before having her senior season cut short by a torn PCL in her right knee late in an overtime loss to Arizona State (74-69, Dec. 8, Tempe). The graduate student returned to the court with eight points and nine rebounds in the win over Utah State. In 2016-17, Ors was the Big Sky Freshman of the Year, and in 2017-18 she was named the Big Sky Top Reserve, after averaging 11.0 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists. As a sophomore in 2017-18, Ors also led the Big Sky in three-point percentage (.459, 51-111).

Last season in Ors’ absence, Diaba Konate (France) emerged as one of the most explosive young players in the Big Sky. The 5-7 guard from Paris averaged 9.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and a team-leading 3.5 assists while adding 1.6 steals. In the season-opening win over Utah State, the redshirt sophomore had 17 points, four rebounds and three assists.

Redshirt junior Ellie Smith (Kennewick, Wash., USA) rounds out the Idaho State starting five. The 6-2 forward did not score or record a rebound in six minutes before fouling out in the win over Utah State. However, she started all 31 games for the Bengals last season and averaged 5.6 points and 4.0 rebounds while leading Idaho State inside with 53 blocked shots.

While the starting five might be the most experienced group the Huskers face all season, Idaho State also has a deep bench. Sophomore Tomekia Whitman started 13 games last season and averaged 8.5 points and 3.7 rebounds as a freshman. The 5-10 guard scored seven points off the bench in last week’s win over Utah State.

Lili Bevao, a 5-7 junior guard from France, added six points and two rebounds in her Idaho State debut. Another transfer, Finley Garnett, also had six points and two rebounds against the Aggies.

Senior Delaney Moore (5.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg), junior Montana Oltrogge (8.0 ppg, 3.0) and sophomores Carsyn Boswell (2.0 ppg, 0.8 rpg) and Jordan Sweeney (1.0 ppg, 0.7 rpg) give the Bengals even more depth and experience. Oltrogge started 10 games last season, while Sweeney has played in 95 games in her Idaho State career, trailing only Ors (101) among active Bengals in games played.

Last season, Idaho State averaged 67.4 points while surrendering 60.7 points per game. The Bengals out-rebounded opponents (36.2-35.0) and posted a team assist-to-turnover ratio (457-464) that dominated their opponents (302-500). ISU hit 43.6 percent of its shots from the field, including 36.5 percent of its threes while averaging 6.6 threes per game.

In last week’s season-opening win over Utah State, Idaho State hit 8-of-24 threes, won the rebounding battle 42-40, and dished out 14 assists while committing just nine turnovers. The Bengals held Utah State to six assists while forcing 13 turnovers.

Nebraska vs. Idaho State Series History

Coach Seton Sobolewski, who owns 210 career wins as he enters his 13th season at Idaho State, will be leading the Bengals to Nebraska for the second time as ISU’s head coach. Idaho State fought hard in a 60-51 loss to the Huskers on Dec. 1, 2012. That Nebraska team went on to advance to the 2013 NCAA Sweet Sixteen with All-Americans and WNBA players Lindsey Moore and Jordan Hooper leading the way. Hooper had 29 points and 10 rebounds while Moore had 13 points, five assists, four rebounds, two steals and a block. The Huskers, who were ranked No. 21 nationally at game time, went just 2-for-17 from three-point range. The Bengals went 5-for-15.

The 2013 Bengals earned a trip to the Postseason WNIT, a year after making their last trip to the NCAA Tournament (2012).

The 2011-12 season marked the last time Idaho State won the Big Sky title and its last NCAA Tournament trip, but the Bengals have advanced to at least the semifinals in the conference tournament five times in the last seven seasons, including a trip to the semis last season and back-to-back trips to the finals in 2016 and 2017.

All-Time Series Results

Nebraska 60, Idaho State 51, Dec. 1, 2012 (Lincoln/Devaney Center)