Idaho may be in luck after a tough three game conference road trip.
The Vandals (6-10, BSC 2-3) will take on the Southern Utah Thunderbirds (3-13, BSC 2-3) on Thursday. There are a few big factors that could determine the outcome of the game.
Idaho has established an identity as a 3-heavy team, and Southern Utah’s defensive style could play right into the Vandals’ plans.
The Thunderbirds are dead last in the conference in 3-point field goal defense, allowing opponents to make over 36 percent of their attempts from beyond the arc. Idaho has shot 38.8 percent from three over their past four games, so look for the Vandals to put a renewed emphasis on shooting from deep.
Despite Southern Utah’s defensive deficiencies, there is some serious cause for concern.
Southern Utah lives and dies by the turnover margin. The team leads the Big Sky in turnover margin, which is in large part due to their league-leading 188 steals over the course of 16 games.
“As a team, they are top 20 in the nation in steals,” said Idaho head coach Jon Newlee. “They play really good defense and we’re going to have to be prepared for that.”
Idaho, on the other hand, is last in the conference in turnover margin.The Vandals don’t turn the ball over much and average only 14.2 turnovers per game, good for fourth in the conference. However, they do not force nearly as many turnovers as the rest of the league, and they could be in serious trouble on Thursday if Southern Utah is able to take advantage of this discrepancy early on.
“We made some poor decisions at Eastern Washington that led to a lot of easy points,” Newlee said. “We’re not going to beat anybody at home or on the road with that mentality, so we’re going to have to value possessions this week.”
One name to look out for is Rebecca Cardenas. The sophomore guard has started every game for the Thunderbirds this season and she has recorded at least one steal in each game and at least four steals in seven games. As the season has progressed, she has taken on a bigger role in the offense. She peaked with 22 points against league leader Montana, and she has put up double figures in four of Southern Utah’s last six games.
Overall, this will be an exciting matchup in which each team’s strength matches up well with the other team’s weakness. The Vandals should be successful if they can get more consistent post play and exploit the weaknesses in Southern Utah’s perimeter defense.
Expect big games from junior guards Mikayla Ferenz and Taylor Pierce. Ferenz is coming off a particularly hot streak, scoring 18, 39 and 33 points in Idaho’s last three games.
Idaho has not had the best start to the new year, but this Thursday’s home matchup against Southern Utah could be just what the team needs to start hitting their stride.
Jonah Baker can be reached at [email protected]