The Big Sky Conference’s season has quickly blown by as we enter the back half of the schedule, with two teams beginning to separate themselves from the rest of the conference. Now they will face off in Moscow for the ‘Battle of the Domes’ rivalry series.
The Idaho Vandals (11-5, 10-2 BSC) host the Idaho State Bengals (14-1, 10-0 BSC) in Memorial Gym, being ranked second and first in the conference, respectively.
Vandals head coach Jon Newlee, who has a 6-6 record against the Bengals, is prepared for a back-and-forth bout.
“Especially from a defensive standpoint, (Idaho State) is going to be a great team. It’s what they hang their hat on and they’re doing a great job,” Newlee said. “You can see how well they play together … they are a very talented team that plays extremely hard. It should be a great game here on Thursday and Saturday.”
Here is what you need to know heading into the rivalry weekend.
Idaho’s depth
The Vandals have returned to having the offensive potential like that of the 2018-2019 squad led by former players Mikayla Ferenz and Taylor Pierce.
Despite injuries forcing Idaho to only have eight or nine players available the last few games, the offense continues without missing a beat, thanks to the continued focus of sharing the scoring load on offense.
This has led to multiple players notching career-highs in scoring this season, along with having two players, sophomore forward Beyonce Bea and senior forward Gabbi Harrington, ranked in the top four in scoring in the Big Sky this season. Both average over 15 PPG in conference play, with junior guard Gina Marxen (13.4 PPG) not far behind.
Marxen also leads the conference in three-pointers made and assist/turnover ratio, continuing to keep the offense moving while remaining a consistent scoring threat.
“(Bea, Harrington and Marxen) have been playing at an extremely high level all year and hopefully they haven’t even touched their ceilings yet,” Newlee said.
These are not the only weapons the Vandals have, as junior guard Janie King and freshman guards Sydney Gandy and Paris Atchley have all provided breakout performances this season.
The key to the offense, Newlee said, is “being able to go eight, nine (players) deep, confidently, and not have a drop-off.”
Finding the balance
To compete for championships, results are needed on both ends of the floor, which is exactly what the Vandals and Bengals have done this season.
Idaho State ranks third in points scored (73 PPG), second in points allowed (60.5 PPG) and first in both offensive and defensive shooting percentage, making over 44% of its shots while holding opponents to just 36%.
Idaho leads the conference in scoring (75.1 PPG), averages the fewest turnovers per game (11.3) and ranks fourth in points allowed (64.3 PPG).
Both teams have found the winning formula for putting up points and causing the opposing offense headaches. An offensive shootout or a low-scoring defensive battle both have a chance to come true this weekend as the top teams in the Big Sky fire up on all cylinders, with the collision course set for Moscow.
Idaho hosts Idaho State on Thursday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at noon in Memorial Gym.
Zack Kelloggcan be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @kellogg_zack