Lucas Gebhart

Staff Writer

Led by reigning Big Sky Newcomer of the Year Apiphany Woods, the Idaho State women’s basketball team looks to make some noise in the Big Sky Conference this season.

After a season featuring a youth movement, concluding with an impressive effort in the conference tournament, the new group features a more seasoned look.

“One of the most valuable things you can have on your team is experience,” head coach Seton Sobolewski said.

Despite their youth in 2014-2015, ISU finished with a 13-17 overall record and an 8-10 mark in Big Sky play, earning themselves a birth in the conference tournament.

Their season however, ended with a heartbreaking loss to host Montana, the top seed in that tournament, falling 69-67.

Led by Woods and fellow senior Anna Policicchio, the Bengals are well equipped to return to postseason play in 2015-2016.

Woods led the team in points last season, averaging 15.5 point per contest. She was also named First Team Preseason All-Conference and was awarded Big Sky Newcomer of the Year last season. 

Woods and Policicchio combined for 25.7 of the nearly 64 points per game the Bengals averaged last season.

While plenty returns to the court for Sobolewski, Grace Kenyon, the second leading scorer last year, will miss the 2015-2016 campaign with a torn ACL suffered during the preseason.

The Bengals also lost two key seniors from last season in Rebecca Schrimpsher and Jasmine Lemon.

The leadership roles will now shift over to the two seniors in Woods and Policicchio.

Along with the duo, guard Freya Newton, who sat out last season, will be one of many vital keys to ISU’s success this year. The redshirt junior played her first two colligate seasons at Gillette Community College, sitting out last year with a redshirt due to injury.

“We have a completely different team from last year,” said Newton. “We’re all new and fresh.”

With the combination of returners and newcomers, the Bengals look well-equipped to make another run at a postseason berth.

“Between the three of us [Policicchio, Woods and Newton] we all have different leadership styles,” Newton said.  “We are all going to complement each other really well.”

“The biggest thing is staying positive and leading by example,” Policicchio said. “Coach is not the only one who can help [us] learn and grow.”

After a strong finish in the previous campaign, the mindset is to finish the task.

“Last year we were really starting to get good towards the end,” said Sobolewski. “All we need to do is be 2-4 points better then what we were before.”

The players can sense the opportunity of the new year.

“We have newfound confidence,” Policicchio said.

Being two points away from the top dog in the Big Sky and returning all but two seniors is something to be confident about. That confidence is combined with the greatest asset for the team, depth.

“Out of the four years I’ve been here we have the most depth we’ve ever had,” said Policicchio. “There’s people who [we] can trust and know will do the right things.”

Newton pointed out the versatility of talents for the group as a key factor as well.

Many players will see the court this season due to the team’s depth including junior college transfer Brooke Blair, who Sobolewski believes could potentially start. 

“She’s got a lot of talent, is tough and a good defender,” stated the coach. “Almost all of our new people are talented enough to make big contributions.”

Another newcomer who could see some time on the court this season is freshman Britanny Kochenderfer out of Klamath Falls, Oregon.

“She is a coaches daughter; she understands the game of basketball,” Sobolewski said. “She’s showing that she is ready to step up and play some minutes sooner rather than later.”

With plenty of options on the offensive side of the basketball, the other end is where the focus will shift.

“Defense is the big key to the team success this year,” Woods said.

Defense has been a main point of emphasis for Sobolewski this offseason.

The Bengals gave up an average of 68.7 points per game last season while scoring 63.9 per game. The Bengals also only managed 5.6 steals per contest compared to 8.6 for their opponents.

“Every practice we’re getting better,” Newton said.

The future is bright for ISU women’s basketball. The team has depth, confidence and talent.

“I think we can go as far as we want to go,” Policicchio said. “We have the talent and we are getting the work ethic where it needs to be.”

While the Bengals had plenty of youth last season, that youth has now turned into experience.

“If we believe it, we can go in and beat anybody,” said Policicchio.

The Bengals will play their first home game Nov. 7 when they take on Western Oregon at 7 p.m. in Reed Gym.