Vandals get rocked in title game
Mar. 13—BOISE — Considering how long the Idaho women had waited for this game, it was done far too soon.
Lacking depth and hampered by cold shooting, the Vandals lost 84-49 to top-seeded Idaho State on Friday in the championship game of the Big Sky Conference tournament at Idaho Central Arena.
It was another painful rebuke for the second-seeded Vandals (17-7), who had qualified for the title game of this tournament in 2020 before being sent home amid the worsening coronavirus pandemic.
Estefania Ors collected 21 points, four assists and three steals for the Bengals (22-3), who jumped to a 27-17 lead and coasted to a win that propels them into the NCAA tournament. They shot 12-for-16 in the first quarter and 58 percent for the game.
The Vandals again were missing point guard Gina Marxen for unexplained reasons and essentially used only six players until the game no longer was in doubt. Sophomore Beyonce Bea tallied 14 points and seven rebounds, freshman guard Sydney Gandy added 10 points and senior forward Natalie Klinker nabbed eight rebounds.
Idaho shot 27 percent and mustered only eight assists and three steals.
The Vandals had scored their most satisfying win of their season against ISU at Moscow on Feb. 13, erasing a 12-point deficit to prevail 73-56 and avenge a loss two days earlier. Bengals coach Seton Sobolewski fumed about a 26-11 disparity in free-throw attempts that day, and something similar happened this time. The Vandals committed only three fouls and held Idaho State to one successful free throw.
Otherwise, though, this game was entirely different. The Vandals were outscored in every quarter and got whacked 22-10 in the third.
It was the fourth time in six seasons Idaho played in the tournament title game.
Gandy and teammate Gabi Harrington earned all-tournament honors after averaging 17.3 and 12.6 points per game, respectively.
IDAHO (17-7)
Bea 4-15 5-7 14, Gandy 4-14 0-0 10, Harrington 3-14 2-2 8, Kirby 1-6 2-2 5, Klinker 2-7 0-0 4, Atchley 2-5 0-0 5, King 1-2 0-0 3, Carlson 0-0 0-0 0, Pulliam 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 17-63 9-11 49.
IDAHO STATE (22-3)
Ors 8-9 1-2 21, Konate 9-13 0-0 20, Moore 8-10 0-0 16, Bourne 4-6 0-1 8, Goles 3-7 0-0 7, Oltrogge 3-1 0-0 6, Smith 1-2 0-0 2, Whitman 1-2 0-0 2, Boswell 1-3 0-0 2, Garnett 0-1 0-0 0, Sweeney 0-1 0-0 0, Bevao 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 38-65 1-3 84.
Idaho 17 8 10 14—49
Idaho St. 27 17 22 18—84
3-point goals — Idaho 6-27 (Gandy 2-10, Bea 1-1, King 1-1, Atchley 1-2, Kirby 1-6, Harrington 0-7), Idaho State 7-17 (Ors 4-4, Konate 2-3, Goles 1-3, Sweeney 0-1, Boswell 0-2, Oltrogge 0-4). Fouled out — none. Rebounds — Idaho 33 (Bea 7), Idaho State 38 (Whitman 7). Assists — Idaho 8 (Kirby 3), Idaho State 18 (Goles 5). Total fouls — Idaho 3, Idaho State 14.
