The Idaho Central Credit Union Arena held its breath in the final moments, even with the game well in hand. Senior guard Kyra Gardner sat one assist away from a triple double, something that hadn’t happened in a Vandal uniform since 2018. With just over a minute left in the 91-63 victory over Western Oregon, Gardner had her chance to make history.
Then it happened. Gardner got the ball in the corner, drove by two Western Oregon defenders, and coolly slipped an inch-perfect bounce pass to the cutting senior forward Sarah Brans, who made no mistake and drilled the jumper. The assist gave Gardner a final stat line of 12 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists, the first triple-double by a Vandal since Mikayla Ferenz accomplished the feat in 2018.
Many think of Gardner as a spot-up shooter, but she is much more. Her vision and basketball IQ, paired with her defensive intensity and relentlessness, have made her an invaluable piece for the Vandals, one who will have a huge impact as they look to bring a championship to Moscow.
“Kyra is a special player;, she’s one of the few players in the conference that can impact the game in any area,” head coach Arthur Moreira said in an interview earlier this season. “Offense, defense, shooting, passing, attacking, shot blocking, stealing. I feel like Kyra is only scratching the surface of what she can be still.”
After a slow start to the game, Gardner began the second half by splashing two three-pointers. With her help all over the floor on both ends, Idaho began to pull away and held a 64-45 lead going into the final quarter.
Behind sophomore guard Ana Pinheiro and Gardner, the Vandals’ offense had their best quarter of the game, scoring 27 points. Pinheiro has continued to improve on the offensive side of the floor, relying on her deep ball and connecting on two three-pointers in the quarter. Gardner capped her historic performance with the triple-double and a career-high 10 assists to help guide the Vandals past the Wolves.
Idaho, coming off two tough road losses, wanted to close non-conference play strong and had the perfect chance to get a win and build momentum heading into conference play. The Vandals did exactly that with a balanced offensive approach where four players scored in double digits, including a career-high 19 points for Pinheiro.
Junior guard Hope Hassmann added 18, Gardner contributed 12, and Brans had a season-high 11 points in huge minutes off the bench with the absence of redshirt senior forward Debora dos Santos. The Vandals closed their non-conference schedule with a 9-4 record.
Western Oregon came to ICCU Arena as the underdog but came out swinging. Midway through the first quarter, the Wolves held an 11-10 lead. That’s when Hassmann, the Vandals’ leading scorer, showed her offensive prowess.
Hassmann used her speed to get by defenders and her calm finishing at the rim to score eight points in the quarter, five of those coming in the final two minutes.
As the Wolves cut the lead to 17-13, Hassmann took the ball coast to coast, crossed over to her right hand, and finished at the rim to put the Vandals up five. After a Vandals trap, Hassmann jumped the passing lane for a steal, drove in for a layup and drew the foul, converting the three-point play to make it 22-13.
Idaho took a 24-15 lead into the second quarter. The Wolves fought back and cut the deficit to as low as four. A 5-0 end-of-half run by Pinheiro, including a swished three-pointer and layup, gave the Vandals a 43-31 lead heading into the locker room.
Idaho’s defense ramped up its pressure and was a huge part in the win, forcing 13 turnovers and converting 17 points off those turnovers. Idaho’s offense found its groove and their high tempo offense combined with their full court pressure wore down the Wolves in the second half leading them to extending their lead and dominating down the stretch.
The bench was also a huge part, with Brans going for a season high 11 points and five rebounds and senior forward Catelyn Deaver’s eight points and seven rebounds. The bench combined for 33 of the Vandals’ 91 points and is a key part to the Vandals team going forward.
Idaho now enters Big Sky Conference play with a new team and higher expectations. When they take the floor, they expect to win. The star power and depth of the team, combined with the vision of Moreira, means championships aren’t a lofty goal but an expectation. That journey begins with a trip to Cheney, Washington.
The Vandals will head up to Cheney to take on the (6-6) Eastern Washington Eagles on Saturday, Jan. 3, at 2 p.m.