On a career day for junior guard Hope Hassmann, she was two points away from a new career high late in the fourth quarter with a chance to help the Idaho Vandals women’s basketball team put the game away against the (7-19, 1-12) Weber State Wildcats. Hassmann got the ball toward the top of the key, rose up and knocked down her fourth three-pointer of the game, giving her a career-high 25 points along with six rebounds and five assists, helping the Vandals defeat the Wildcats 80-67.
With the win the Vandals captured their ninth win in a row and moved their record to (20-5, 11-1), remaining atop the Big Sky Conference.
Idaho came into the game ranked no. 22 among mid-major programs and riding an eight-game winning streak. A big part of that has been the play of Hassmann over the past month.
Hassmann entered needing two points to eclipse 1,000 career points and had a chance early in the game to do so. Hassmann got the ball on the left side of the key she dribbled then crossed over to her left hand. She blew by the Weber defender and scooped in the layup to get her to 1,000 points.
“To reach that mark with Idaho Vandals is something really special. I started my career somewhere different, and being there would have never got me to Idaho,” Hassmann said in an interview earlier this season. “I feel like these coaches, these girls, have really made me the player I am today. I feel like being able to hit 1,000 points around them is something so special.”
Idaho controlled the tempo from the tip, but the Wildcats soared from beyond the arc, knocking down six three-pointers in the first quarter. With the game going back and forth and the Wildcats taking an 18-14 lead, the Vandals needed to respond and they did just that.
Sophomore guard Ana Pinheiro got the ball in the corner and kicked it to freshman guard Katlin Kangur, who swished a three-pointer to cut the Vandals’ deficit. On the next possession, Pinheiro did what she does best:, defending. She stole the pass and went the length of the court to give the Vandals the lead.
Pinheiro knocked down two more jumpers and capped the 10-3 run with a three-pointer to give the Vandals a 24-21 lead. Pinheiro finished the quarter with 11 points.
The Wildcats knocked down their seventh three-pointer of the game and took a 26-24 lead into the second quarter.
The Vandals continued to be in control, but the Wildcats just couldn’t miss from beyond the arc, finishing the half 10-15 from three to keep themselves in the game. With the game tied at 46 and the clock ticking down in the half, the Vandals came alive.
Senior guard Kyra Gardner came around a screen and knocked down a three-pointer. A couple of possessions later, Hassmann buried a three-pointer, her second of the quarter, and led the Vandals with 10 points in the half. The Vandals took a 52-46 lead into the locker room.
After giving up 46 points in the first half, the Vandals were looking to slow down the Wildcats’ hot shooting.
Idaho’s defense stole the show in the second half, allowing just 19 combined points and forcing 14 turnovers. Pinheiro, Kangur and dos Santos each recorded three steals.
Redshirt senior Debora dos Santos, with five seconds left in the third quarter, spun, brushed off the contact, got the layup to fall and made the ensuing free throw to put the Vandals up 13. Weber State answered right back when junior guard Sydney White launched a half-court heave that connected, and the Wildcats trailed 70-60.
Idaho’s experience and composure willed them to outscore the Wildcats 10-7 in the final ten minutes and extend their win streak.
Head coach Arthur Moreira was pleased with the team’s performance and second half adjustments made on the defensive end of the floor.
“Weber State and Coach Jackson did a great job from the tip, staying aggressive and attacking us and making shots,” Moreira said in Idaho Athletics press release. “I am proud of our effort and how we decided to execute our halftime adjustments. We came out with toughness and got some key stops in the second half that allowed us to get this win on the road.”
Idaho was efficient on the offensive end, finishing 31-65 from the field, 8-17 from beyond the arc and 10-13 from the free-throw line. Idaho also outrebounded the Wildcats 43-26 and dominated the paint 44-22.
Dos Santos was huge in the paint, recording 15 points and eight rebounds. Kangur was also huge off the bench, providing the Vandals with seven points, two rebounds and three steals. Idaho outscored Weber State’s bench 28-11.
Pinheiro was big on both ends, and after her first-quarter explosion, she finished with 13 points, eight rebounds and three steals.
Idaho now looks to build on their winning streak as they travel south to take on in-state rival (17-7, 10-3) Idaho State Bengals in a game that always means more than just the score.
The Vandals and Bengals will tip off from Reed Gym on Saturday, Feb. 14, at 1 p.m.