The Idaho women haven’t gotten a ton of publicity, but they certainly deserve it.
The Vandal women, despite dropping their last two (by a combined four points), sit at No. 3 in the conference with a 9-6 conference record three games to go. There’s an outside chance for Idaho to win the regular season conference crown, but more realistically are looking at winning three in three days in Las Vegas to win the conference tournament.
Idaho coach Jon Newlee said this year presents the best opportunity for his team to do so since he came to Idaho from Idaho State in 2008.
There hasn’t been a team in conference play Idaho hasn’t competed with. In five of Idaho’s six losses the average margin of loss is less than five points — taking away a 81-49 loss to Utah State in Logan. The Aggies overcame a 16 point second-half deficit to defeat Idaho 91-85 in Moscow earlier in the season.
Idaho will finish its home schedule this week with games against UT-San Antonio and Texas State before heading to the Emerald City to face first place Seattle. Seattle also overcome a second-half double-digit deficit to down Idaho in Moscow earlier in the season.
In terms of seeding for the conference tournament, Idaho can’t finish lower than fifth. Idaho would likely play La. Tech or UTSA in a 4-5 match-up. But Idaho wants a top 3 seed. If the No. 3 seed Idaho would play either Denver or San Jose State teams it swept. Or as a 1 or 2 seed where Idaho would play a team which has already played in a 7-10 or 8-9 game.
Here Newlee, junior post Alyssa Charlston and freshman guard and 3-point specialist Christina Salvatore talk about the team as it nears the home stretch to Las Vegas.
Oh yeah, we also ask Salvatore if Connor Hill wants a re-match from this pretty epic game of ‘Horse’
Women’s basketball on the home stretch from uiargonaut.com on Vimeo.