kang@journalnet.com

POCATELLO - Chelsea Pickering has slinked into many an Idaho State huddle this season anticipating a scolding from coach Seton Sobolewski.

The first media timeout during the Bengals' win over Montana Western on Wednesday, though, wasn't one such occasion. The last thing she expected was Sobolewski turning to her and telling her she wasn't doing anything to help the team.

"I had this puzzled look on my face," said Pickering, a sophomore guard. "I was like, what did I do? I didn't understand. I didn't know what I had done wrong."

Sobolewski may have had ample reason for lecturing her in previous games, but by the end of Wednesday's contest, Pickering was safely in the clear. She scored a career-high 13 points in the Bengals' 83-60 win, and more importantly, Pickering hit five of her nine field-goal attempts, the first time she has topped the 50-percent mark in a game this season.

Even with that showing, though, Pickering is shooting just 23.8 percent from the field for an average of 7.6 points per game entering today's 2:05 p.m. contest against Wyoming at Reed Gym. Despite being one of Idaho State's most tenacious playmakers in practice, that form hasn't spilled over into games.

That trend often has prompted Sobolewski to demand more from her, but not as badly as Pickering has demanded it of herself.

"She's going through some growing pains right now, but she'll be a really good player for us in the future," Sobolewski said. "She definitely has the potential. She has the talent and the athleticism and the size to be our best guard. It's just a matter of time with her putting it all together."

In a gym full of players wearing Idaho State practice jerseys, that potential is undeniable.

Beginning with Idaho State's first intra-squad scrimmage of the year, when Pickering led all scorers, the 5-foot-9 wing has given the Bengals' guards fits by muscling her way into the paint for easy buckets. Her shooting touch and speed have proven difficult for Idaho State's posts to defend.

But a different Pickering shows up whenever strangers have lined up across from her in games.

"Whenever we go against other teams, I don't know if I get more intimidated," Pickering said. "I just kind of shy away from my strong points. I start thinking the other team is better than what I have."

Pickering often hasn't helped herself either. Following an injury-riddled freshman campaign in which she played just 17 total minutes, Pickering admits she still makes rookie mistakes with her shot selection. She drives into the teeth of the defense instead of taking an open mid-range jumper. With the shot clock winding down, she heaves long jumpers instead of attacking the basket and drawing fouls.

And then there's her layup troubles. In her own words, Pickering "doesn't know how to shoot layups." Should she go overhand or underhand? Off the backboard or straight to the hoop? All that thinking has caused her to miss several easy layups, including a breakaway freebie against Montana Western. Pickering already has pledged to spend all winter break working on those gimme shots.

"You can't think when you're shooting, 'I don't want to miss. I don't want to miss. I can't miss,'" Sobolewski said. "You don't want to think negatively. You've got to think positive, like, 'Oh, this is good. I've got this. I've made this shot 100 times.'"

Despite her offensive struggles, Pickering has remained a fixture in Idaho State's starting lineup.

Even if she doesn't score a single point, Pickering is still the team's best on-ball defender and is usually assigned to defend the opponent's best guard. During the season opener, she limited DePaul's All-Big East guard Deirdre Naughton to just eight points.

"She can muscle up with mostly anyone," senior point guard Jenna Brown said. "I love playing with players that are aggressive. You can't fault her for that - she's always aggressive. I think people feed off that."

That's provided Pickering with a little consolation during her shooting slump - but not much. Even Idaho State's previous two wins before Wednesday hadn't lifted her spirits - she went a combined 7-for-19 in the games, and "whenever I play bad, I just get really irritated and frustrated," Pickering said.

Pickering can't predict how she'll feel leaving today's game against the Cowgirls. But if she hits the shots she has hit all season long against her teammates in practice, chances are, she'll feel like she did after the Montana Western win.

Said Pickering: "I went home, and I was happy for once."