|
Despite a tough, physical game, the University of Idaho women’s basketball team lost 65-60 against in-state rival Boise State (14-6, 6-2) on Saturday in the Cowan Spectrum.
This loss brings the Vandals to 2-18 on the season and 1-7 in the Western Athletic Conference.
“I am really disappointed for the kids, but I’m not disappointed in them at all,” Idaho coach Mike Divilbiss said. “We had some turnovers late in the game and it cost us. We turned over the ball on four of the last five possessions we had and that cost us the game.”
Divilbiss also tried something new on Saturday night — he started four freshmen.
“That’s what we knew when we recruited them, we really thought they were going to infect our program with that fire, and they showed it tonight,” Divilbiss said.
Both teams started off fast-paced and competitive and ended the half tied at 24.
“I thought we really stepped it up, we stepped up big and that says a lot about how hard we’ve worked this season, to learn the system and to just get where we need to be,” starting freshman Alana Curtis said. “It doesn’t matter what year we are, whoever is going to step up and do it is going to do it.”
The Vandal women out-shot the Broncos by 5 percent in both halves, but that wasn’t enough for the team to overcome their foul percentage. The Vandals’ 26 overall team fouls cost them the game.
Although the Vandals lost, they didn’t do so without a fight.
“It is so disappointing to lose a game like this,” Curtis said. “That’s the hardest we’ve ever fought in a game by far.”
Idaho’s Katie Madison stepped it up, scoring 22 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Saturday marked Madison’s 14th career double-double and also marked the 18th time she has scored 20 or more points in a game.
Curtis finished the game with a career-high 19 points, one assist and one rebound for the Vandals. Freshman Carli Bakondy also added 14 points and three assists in 32 minutes of play.
“I was really pleased with our fire and our fight — our intensity. We played a high level basketball game,” Divilbiss said. “You have got to give Bakondy tons of credit, she did a great job on (Jessica Thompson) defensively.”
Boise State had also had three players score in double digits.
Thompson led the Broncos with 20 points, but was followed closely by Tasha Harris who scored 17 points and Jamia Malone who had 10 points and three rebounds. Nine of Thompson’s and 10 of Harris’ points came from free throws.
Although the loss was disappointing to the Vandals, neither Divilbiss nor Curtis are discouraged, especially after such a close game.
“I think that we are starting to get the picture, I really do,” Divilbiss said. “We just have to learn how to win, and the more games we are in like this one, the better we are going to get at it.”
The Vandal women are back in WAC action this week when they host New Mexico State on Thursday and Louisiana Tech on Saturday in the Cowan Spectrum.
 Add as favorites (29) | Views: 222
|
