Late in the third quarter, sophomore guard Ana Pinheiro had a sequence that sparked the Vandals. With University of California Davis leading by five, the Vandals needed that spark. McMorris found Pinheiro wide open on the inbounds for a three-pointer to cut the lead to two. After a made basket by the Aggies, Pinheiro pushed the ball down the court, got it down low, made a move, spun, and got a layup to drop in traffic before racing back down the court and getting a steal.
Pinheiro laid the ball up a few possessions later to tie the game at 52. The Vandals battled until the end, but the hot shooting of the Aggies from beyond the arc proved too much to overcome, and UC Davis walked away with an 89-76 victory despite a career-high 17 points and 11 rebounds from Pinheiro.
Pinheiro, a native of Braga, Portugal, came to the Idaho Vandals with tremendous potential and started gaining more playing time down the stretch of last season. Her work in the weight room and on the court over the offseason has set her apart, and the Vandals expect a big year from her.
“She’s only a sophomore. She came to us last year as a freshman and started gaining a lot of minutes towards the end of the season,” head coach Arthur Moreira said postgame versus Washington State. “I really saw her growth. She’s just a matchup problem. She’s a great athlete, a legit six-foot guard that can guard one through five. She’s starting to shine a little bit. I think she’s going to be a really good player for us here.”
Pinheiro and the Vandals started slow as both teams felt each other out, but Pinheiro began to show her ability in the first quarter.
After two layups put the Vandals ahead 16-12 with just under two minutes to go in the quarter, senior guard Mary McMorris drove down the lane and found senior forward Sarah Brans, who kicked it out to Pinheiro. She caught the pass and drilled a three-pointer to put the Vandals up seven. The Aggies countered with two three-pointers, and the Vandals held a slim 19-18 lead heading into the second quarter.
The Aggies took control in the second quarter as they ramped up the pressure defensively, sped the Vandals up, and made them uncomfortable. On the offensive end, Davis was surgical and methodical, opening with a 6-0 run to start the quarter. Senior guard Kyra Gardner knocked down her first three of the game to cut the deficit to two, but the Aggies were in control from there on out.
The Aggies outscored the Vandals 21-13 in the quarter and took a 39-32 lead into the locker room after Pinheiro gave the Vandals some life with a layup with two seconds remaining in the half.
Idaho used the momentum and rode it into their best quarter offensively, outscoring Davis 31-26. The Vandals clawed their way back and went toe-to-toe with the Aggies. The teams went back and forth, and after a McMorris jumper to end the quarter, the Vandals had cut the deficit to 65-63 with one quarter to go.
Gardner opened the quarter with a jumper, but the Aggies went on a ferocious 13-0 run, including three of their 14 three-pointers in the game, to push their lead back into double digits.
The Vandals fought hard, but the hot shooting and efficient defense were enough to overcome, and the Vandals fell to 1-1 on the season.
All five Aggies starters were in double figures, led by sophomore guard Ryan Bennett, who had a game-high 21 points. She added six assists on 8-17 shooting. UC Davis as a team was extremely efficient, especially beyond the arc, finishing 31-66 from the floor, 14-30 from three-point range, and 14-17 from the free-throw line.
The Vandals were led by Pinheiro but also had a couple of other players step up beside her. Gardner had another strong performance with 16 points, connecting on 4-9 from beyond the arc. Redshirt senior forward Lorena Barbosa was the only other Vandal in double figures with 10 points and seven rebounds.
The Vandals took 12 more shots than the Aggies but finished just 29-81 from the field. The inefficient shooting leaves the Vandals needing to regroup as they head home for their home opener.
The Vandals will welcome Walla Walla University to the Idaho Central Credit Union Arena on Sunday, Nov. 9, at 2 p.m., hoping to get back in the win column.
Jayden Barfuss can be reached at [email protected].