In a season-defining road game on March 1 set against the towering backdrop of the Wasatch Mountains, the Idaho Vandals made a statement that would reverberate across the Big Sky Conference. On the line: a prized third seed in the upcoming Big Sky tournament. The pressure was palpable as they squared off against the Weber State Wildcats, hungry to defend their home court. Idaho came out firing, playing with a determination that mirrored the rugged peaks in the distance.
Behind a dazzling game from sophomore guard Hope Hassmann, her 21 points helped Idaho secure a dominant 73-58 victory, claiming the third seed in the Big Sky tournament and proving that no mountain was too high for them to climb. The Wasatch may have watched over them, but the Vandals stood tall, ready for the tournament ahead.
With the victory, the Vandals moved to 18-10 (10-7), making Head Coach Arthur Moreira the winningest first-year coach in Vandal history, passing hall-of-fame coach Tara Vanderveer.
Coming off a crushing loss to in-state Idaho State Bengals, the Vandals came out ready to prove that they are ready to compete for a conference championship next weekend.
“That loss ignited a fire in us,” Moreira said. “It was a huge game, and our girls were ready for it. There was a lot of pressure going into the game. I was really happy with how we played. We played hard from the beginning.”
“There was something different about how we approached that game on Saturday that excited me about the conference tournament,” Moreira continued. “We showed in the first game all season where there was some real pressure, which gives me a lot of confidence going into Boise the conference tournament, and that we’re going to be able to handle that type of pressure.”
After a back-and-forth start to the game, the Vandals turned up the intensity on both sides of the ball. Behind an 11-0 run, they busted the game open and led the Wildcats 20-12 at the end of the first quarter.
Idaho kept the pressure on the Wildcats and showed the offensive prowess they had missed the previous game. Graduate forward Jennifer Aadland capped off the half with a pick-and-pop three-pointer to give the Vandals a 42-27 lead heading into the half.
Junior forward Sarah Brans scored 10 points in the first half, which was a huge boost to the Vandals’ 15-point halftime lead.
The third quarter was the Hope Hassmann show. The sophomore guard had seven points at halftime and dazzled in the opening few minutes of the third quarter. She started with a contested layup.
Hassmann got two more buckets, the first a back-cut jumper and the second a contested layup, to help the Vandals grasp a 50-27 lead. Hassmann ended her dazzling third quarter with a long three-pointer that swished through the net and gave her nine points in the quarter.
Idaho continued to roll and at the end of the third quarter led the Wildcats 62-39.
With a huge lead, the Vandals put the game on cruise control and defeated the Wildcats to clinch the third seed and complete the season sweep of the Wildcats.
Hassmann led all scorers with 21 points and seven assists. She finished the game 8/15 from the field and 3/6 from beyond the arc in one of her best shooting efforts of the season.
Brans and graduate forward Rosie Schweizer both contributed 10 points apiece. Aadland, who has been a rebounding machine all season, continued that as she finished with eight points and 13 rebounds.
The Vandals as a team were highly efficient, shooting 30/64 from the field, 9/23 from beyond the arc and 4/8 from the free-throw line—numbers Moreira loves to see but is looking for the Vandals to be more consistent down the stretch.
“We’re still inconsistent. We have one good and one bad game offensively. We are a hard team to guard when we’re on just because we have many weapons,” Moreira said.
The Vandals will be looking to work on their consistency and turnover issues as they welcome the regular-season champions, the Montana State Bobcats, a team that defeated Idaho 59-56 in Boseman at the start of conference play.
“It’s about going out there and playing,” Moreira said. “A lot of people are saying that this game doesn’t mean anything. It matters to us to show that if we play them again in the conference tournament. We can beat them.”
Montana State, coming in 26-3 and fresh off losing their 19-game winning streak to Sacramento State, will come in fired up to defeat the Vandals. The Bobcats have an outstanding defense and will test the Vandals’ ball handling and decision-making, both areas the Vandals need to improve on before they hit the floor for the Big Sky tournament.
The Vandals and Bobcats will tip off in the ICCU Arena on Monday, March 3, at 6 p.m.
Jayden Barfuss can be reached [email protected]