In a highly anticipated matchup between two of the top teams in the Big Sky Conference, the Montana State Bobcats controlled the game from the opening tip, handing the Idaho Vandals (11-5, 2-1) a 99-66 loss in Bozeman, Montana, the worst defeat of the season for Idaho.
“They kicked our butts, [for] lack of a better term. They are preseason no. 1 and defending champions for a reason,” head coach Arthur Moreira said in a postgame interview with James Taurman-Aldrich. “We weren’t tough enough. That was the most disappointing thing. I’ll take a loss, but I don’t think our effort was there tonight.”
The Bobcats (11-4, 4-0) fed off the energy from their home crowd and used their terrific defense, led by last season’s Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year Taylee Chirrick. Their defensive intensity, with their full-court pressure and aggressive defense, sparked their offense and allowed them to pull away early from the Vandals.
Chirrick was the best player on the floor in every facet. She finished with 23 points, connecting on 4-6 from beyond the arc. She also grabbed seven rebounds and had seven steals, causing the Vandals headaches with her long arms and excellent defensive pursuit.
The Bobcats forced 25 Vandal turnovers and converted them into 28 points, using the early miscues to get into a rhythm
With the Bobcats leading 12-4, junior guard Hope Hassmann made an entry pass into the paint that was knocked away and into the path of Chirrick. She gathered the ball and raced up the floor, spotting a streaking freshman guard Brianne Bailey and delivering the perfect pass for a reverse layup to put the Bobcats up by double digits.
Bailey, a native of St. Anthony, Idaho, played a crucial role off the bench, scoring 18 points and grabbing three rebounds.
The Vandals fought back, and after a corner three-pointer by sophomore guard Ana Pinheiro, they cut the Bobcats’ lead to 14-9. Pinheiro was the only Vandal starter to reach double figures and led the team with 15 points and six rebounds.
Idaho got the last shot of the first quarter and made it count. Redshirt senior Debora dos Santos fought for the rebound and put up a buzzer-beater jumper to give the Vandals some momentum heading into the second quarter.
However, the Bobcats’ efficiency on both ends led to them stretching the lead and taking a 53-35 advantage into halftime.
The third quarter proved to be the Vandals’ worst offensive frame of the night. Montana State extended their lead to 70-44 before putting the game out of reach with three consecutive three-pointers by Chirrick, Bailey and junior guard Isobel Bunyan.
Bunyan buried her three as the clock ticked down and, at the end of the quarter, the Bobcats held a 79-46 lead. Montana State outscored Idaho 26-11 in the quarter and after 10 more minutes they closed out the game, moving into first place in the Big Sky Conference.
The Vandals’ defense, which has struggled throughout the season, had shown improvement in their previous two games but regressed significantly against Montana State. The Bobcats shot over 50% in nearly every quarter and executed whatever they wanted on both sides of the ball, finishing 35-67 from the field and 12-31 from beyond the arc.
Moreira and the team were frustrated after the game but expressed confidence that this performance wouldn’t be repeated.
“That’s not acceptable to lose like that. You’re not going to win every game, but you can’t get beat in every facet of the game like that. I am pretty confident in saying that won’t happen again,” Moreira said. “By the reaction in the locker room, I think the girls took it to heart. They want to win, they’re competitive and this is a group that I think can still play for a Big Sky Championship.”
The Vandals have their eyes set on a championship, but to compete at that level, they’ll need to elevate their play against top-tier teams like Montana State, something they failed to do in Bozeman.
The Vandals will look to bounce back when they return home to the ICCU Arena to face in-state rival Idaho State. The Vandals and Bengals will tip off on Thursday, Jan. 15, at 6 p.m.