March tournaments have a way of making dreams come alive or crushing them in an instant. For the Idaho Vandals, the Big Sky quarterfinal against Montana was supposed to be their moment. The bright lights, the packed stands, and the pressure that builds with every dribble are all what players work for.
Nevertheless, as the final buzzer sounded, a sense of finality washed over the Vandals. Their hopes were dashed in a 65-54 loss that ended their season despite great games by the backcourt duo of graduate guard Olivia Nelson, who eclipsed 2,000 points the third Vandal ever to do that and sophomore guard Hope Hassmann, who both finished with 17 points.
“This was truly a special season,” Head Coach Arthur Moreira said. These are very special individuals. They stayed committed to the University of Idaho and then had the season they had after being picked eight. They laid the foundation for our program, and we will be successful in the future.”
The start began as advertised: a shootout with both teams scoring at will. Sophomore guard Hope Hassmann got going early and scored seven points quickly for the Vandals.
The dynamic duo of junior guard Mack Konig and freshman forward Avery Waddington was electric for Montana, combining for 37 points.
Konig led all scorers with 20 points, and Waddington, in her first tournament game, ended with 17. Behind the duo, Montana held a 17-16 first-quarter lead over the Vandals.
The duo picked up where they left off in the second quarter. Konig knocked down a three-pointer, and Waddington got a layup to put the Grizzlies up 20-18. The Vandals finally got their first lead with a three-pointer from graduate guard Olivia Nelson. The Vandals used that and went on a 7-0 run to stretch their lead to 29-23.
However, turnovers haunted the Vandals, and their six-point lead quickly evaporated. The Grizzlies ended the half on a 10-2 run and took a 33-31 lead into halftime.
With 20 minutes left in one of these teams’ seasons, they went back and forth. Hassmann continued showing determination, and she got a tough jumper to go, cutting the Griz lead to 44-40.
From there, the Grizzlies flexed their muscles and their three-point shooting ability. Montana native senior forward Dani Bartsch started the barrage with a pick-and-pop three. Senior guard MJ Bruno knocked down the second straight lead, and another three by Bartsch opened the lead to 53-40 and gave the Grizzlies a 13-point lead heading into the final quarter.
The Vandals, now ten minutes away from their season, could not get a shot to fall, and the Griz could not miss. The dynamic duo that started hot for the Griz sunk the Vandals’ chances.
Konig, who had been dazzling all game long, drilled another three. Waddington, the Coeur D’Alene native, from the right corner knocked down the Grizzlies’ fifth straight lead and gave Montana a 19-point lead.
After only making one three-pointer at halftime, the Grizzlies made seven in the second half, which was the difference in the game. Konig and Waddington spoke about the shift in their shooting in the second half.
“We honed in on our capability and practicing in the past of having a short-term memory,” Konig said. “We kept shooting it like in practice and focused on what we could do.”
“We were taking good shots in the first half; they just weren’t falling,” Waddington said. “Mentally, everyone kept taking good shots.”
The dynamic duo was dazzling for the Griz, but Bartsch was the game-changer. Her three-pointers sent a jolt of life into the Grizzlies, as she ended the game with 12 points and 3/7 from the three-point line.
“Dani was huge,” Montana Head Coach Nate Harris said. “She is a kid that’s been up and down and battling some physical things this year. When we needed her when the moment was big, she stepped up.”
The Vandals ended the season 18-12 (10-9), and after being picked to finish eighth place, they defied the odds and had a remarkable season. Nelson and graduate forward Jennifer Aadland spoke emotionally about their last time playing in an Idaho uniform.
“It meant a lot,” Aadland said, wiping tears from her face. “Having all of our coaches believe in us. When I first came for DII, I was unsure if I could compete at this level, but I had coaches and players who believed in me from the start; I’m lucky to have played here for my last year.”
“Idaho is a big family, Nelson said.” “All the players, coaches and fans. It feels like everybody here believes in you, and it’s disappointing that we let them down today,” Nelson said.
Like the Vandals, the Grizzlies faced adversity all season but fought through it, emerged on the other side, and played with the hunger to lift a trophy.
The Vandals’ season ends with another quarterfinal exit, but they show signs of a team rising. They have the pieces to compete and eventually return the championship trophy to Moscow.