The Vandals’ trip to the Big Sky Conference was cut short following a 73-64 loss to No. 4 seed Eastern Washington in the quarterfinals.
The game had a slow start before Eastern Washington scored the first points with a shot from beyond the arc. The Eagles took an early lead, going up 8-0 as Idaho missed its first seven attempts.
Sophomore guard Mikayla Ferenz got the ball rolling for the Vandals when she created a turnover and ran it down for a good 3-point shot. Ferenz put up Idaho’s opening eight points, but still trailed 15-8 at the end of the opening quarter.
During the second quarter, Vandals outscored Eastern Washington 21-19, keeping the game within reach but not enough for the first quarter deficit. Idaho headed into the break, trailing the Eagles 34-29.
Ferenz came out on top for the Idaho offense with 10 points.
In the third quarter, both teams kept the ball moving, but the Eagles maintained a steady lead over the Vandals.
A jumper from junior post Brooke Reilly brought Idaho within three in the opening minute of the play. Although Idaho stayed within reach the opponents pulled away to grab a 10-point advantage going into the final quarter.
The last 10 minutes of play were stagnant on both sides. Eastern Washington picked up speed with just three minutes left to extend their lead by 15 points. Idaho built up a little momentum in the final minute following a three-pointer from sophomore guard Taylor Pierce. Pierce brought the game back within single-digits at seven points, but the Eagles quickly extended it back out to as many as 11 points in the final minute. A layup from junior post Geraldine McCorkell closed the gap to nine points before the buzzer sealed the Idaho loss.
Ferenz had a strong game with 23 points and five boards. McCorkell finished with just eight points and seven rebounds for the team.
Meredith Spelbring can be reached at [email protected]