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OGDEN, Utah (January 4, 2016) – The opening weekend of Big Sky Conference men’s basketball play was an exciting one. Last week’s games featured overtime thrillers, career-highs and record-setting performances.
Mr. Double-Double
Weber State’s Joel Bolomboy picked up his 13
th double-double Saturday in the Wildcats’ conference opener against Idaho State. Bolomboy leads the nation in double-doubles but is also third in the country in total rebounds (180) and rebounds per game (12.9). He is second in the nation in defensive rebounds per game, averaging 9.64 defensive boards.
Steals Gang
Four Big Sky student-athletes are tied at 33 in the national rankings in steals. Sacramento State’s Marcus Graves, Idaho State’s Ethan Telfair, Geno Crandall of North Dakota and Northern Arizona’s Kris Yanku each have 28 steals on the season.
This Week’s Top Performers
Joel Bolomboy (WSU) - Bolomboy averaged 21.5 points, 13.5 rebounds and shot 85 percent from the field in Weber State’s two wins last week. In the two games Bolomboy was 17-of-20 from the field and 8-of-10 from the free throw line. Bolomboy needs just 67 more rebounds to become Weber State’s career leader in rebounds and needs 71 more rebounds to become the Big Sky’s all-time leader. He now ranks 15th in scoring in Weber State history.
Tyler Hall (MSU) - Hall scored six points in the second half and six of Montana State’s 14 points in overtime, leading the Bobcats to a 74-72 win at Northern Arizona on Saturday. Hall scored six of MSU’s last nine points Saturday after scoring the team’s final 15 points in a historic performance on Thursday at Southern Utah. Hall scored 36 points, the second-most on record by a Bobcat freshman, in the 93-82 Bobcat loss. On the weekend, Hall shot 18-for-41 from the floor, 8-for-21 from the arc, 8-for-10 from the line, with a dozen boards, three assists and a steal with no turnovers. He averages 17.7 points a game, most among Big Sky Conference freshman and third-most among NCAA Division I freshmen.
Quinton Hooker (UND) - Hooker averaged 22.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg and 2.5 apg as UND split its first two Big Sky games of the season. He shot 60 percent from the field (12-for-20), 50 percent from 3-point range (4-for-8) and 84.2 percent from the foul line (16-for-19) in those two outings. In the 74-71 loss to Idaho on Thursday, Hooker equaled his career-high with 28 points and had 26 of those in the second half as he nearly rallied UND back from a six-point halftime deficit. He also had a career-high four 3-pointers against the Vandals and went 8-for-9 from the charity stripe.
In the 79-71 victory over Eastern Washington on Saturday, Hooker scored 16 points and pulled down seven rebounds as UND snapped a nine-game overall losing streak in Big Sky games dating back to last season. He went 8-for-10 from the foul line and those efforts helped seal the victory.
Chad Sherwood (UI) - Sherwood had a breakout weekend, averaging 17.0 points per game as the Vandals moved to 2-0 in Big Sky play. Sherwood scored 16 points in Idaho’s close win at North Dakota, connecting on 3-of-5 from deep and all five of his free throw attempts. He followed that up with an 18-point game at Northern Colorado. He hit 6-of-8 3-point attempts against the Bears, tying his career-high for made 3’s.
Eric Stuteville (SAC) - In two games last week, junior center Eric Stuteville averaged 16.5 points and 12.0 rebounds on .565 (13-for-23) shooting from the field. He had double-doubles in both games, including 16 points and 12 rebounds at home vs. Pacific Union, and 17 points and 12 rebounds at Portland State. He has now scored in double figures in a career-high four straight games.
Isaiah Pineiro (PSU) - Pineiro averaged 16.0 points and 6.5 rebounds as the Vikings won a pair of game last week. He shot 13-22 from the field (.591), 1-1 from three-point range and 5-6 (.833) at the line. Pineiro also had four assists, three blocked shots and no turnovers in 59 minutes of play. Pineiro had 11 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks as the Vikings opened the conference schedule with a win over Sacramento State. His 21 points led the Vikings in an 89-82 win over Cal State Fullerton.
Ali Faruq-Bey (ISU) - Had a career-high 32 points in a 84-79 victory over CSUN on Tuesday. He shot 11-16 from the field and 4-7 from the three-point line in 31 minutes of action. He also posted 13 points and four rebounds in a loss at Weber State.
Coming Up This Week
| THURSDAY 1.7.16 |
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| North Dakota |
at |
Weber State* |
7 p.m. |
| Portland State |
at |
Montana* |
7 p.m. |
| Northern Colorado |
at |
Idaho State* |
7 p.m. |
| Sacramento State |
at |
Montana State |
7:05 PM |
| Northern Colorado |
at |
Idaho State* |
7 p.m. |
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| SATURDAY 1.9.16 |
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| Portland State |
at |
Montana State* |
2:05 PM |
| Idaho |
at |
Eastern Washington* |
2:05 p.m. |
| Northern Colorado |
at |
Weber State* |
7 p.m. |
| Northern Arizona |
at |
Southern Utah* |
7 p.m. |
| North Dakota |
at |
Idaho State* |
7 p.m. |
| Sacramento State |
at |
Montana* |
7 p.m. |
| North Dakota |
at |
Idaho State* |
7 p.m. |
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