As the third quarter ticked down in Reed Gym, the Idaho Vandals women’s basketball team had a chance to reclaim the King Spud trophy, one that hasn’t graced the shelves of Moscow since 1969 and is the first time they have won it since the trophy got reintroduced in 2023. The ball found the hands of junior guard Hope Hassmann, who dribbled around the floor before driving toward the paint. Two defenders came up to stop her, but she picked up her head, spotted sophomore Ella Uriarte and slipped a backdoor pass.
Uriarte was as composed as she had been all night, and she made the layup in front of the Bengals student section, propelling the Vandals to a 65-50 victory over the Bengals to complete the season sweep of their in-state rivals.
The (21-5, 12-1) Vandals secured the King Spud trophy and won their tenth game in a row, their best run of games since the 2013-2014 season.
“What a game! I want to give a lot of credit to Coach Sobolewski. That program is the standard of toughness and rebounding in our conference, and I thought we did a great job matching that,” head coach Arthur Moreira said in an Idaho Athletics press release. “Both defenses made it really difficult to score, so it became a battle of wills, and that’s what it takes to win on the road. This game means more than just a regular season Big Sky game. It’s a big in-state rivalry, and both teams approached it like it. It’s really exciting to bring King Spud home after such a long time.”
The Vandals have been the hottest team in the Big Sky Conference, and they put that to the test against the (17-8, 10-4) Bengals who was riding a five game winning streak of their own heading into the game. In a game that means more than the score In a hostile environment, a bitter rivalry was set for its next chapter.
Both teams came out ready to set the tone, and the physicality showed up immediately. A big part of the Vandals’ success came from redshirt senior forwards Lorena Barbosa and Debora dos Santos. Barbosa finished the game with 15 points and eight rebounds and connected on two three-pointers. Dos Santos was a force down low, commanding two or three defenders every time she touched the ball. She ended with 14 points and eight rebounds.
Both teams went back and forth, using their momentum to gain advantages. Near the end of the half, the Vandals held a 28-25 lead and were looking to get separation. Uriarte connected on back-to-back three-pointers to give Idaho a 34-25 lead. The Bengals closed the half on a 4-0 run and went into halftime with the Vandals leading 34-29.
The Bengals used their momentum and outscored the Vandals 9-4 early in the third quarter. Senior guard Tasia Jordan, who led the Vandals with 15 points in the game, knocked down a midrange jumper to tie the game. The intensity went up from there, and every possession mattered. Like the Vandals have done all season, they punched back and ended the third quarter on a 9-0 run to take a 53-42 lead into the final frame.
From there, the Vandals’ defense and senior guard Kyra Gardner made the difference. The defense shut down the Bengals’ offensive attack and held them scoreless for four minutes, limiting them to only eight points in the final frame. Gardner, who had been in foul trouble for most of the game, picked up her fourth foul with 4:52 left in the third quarter and had to sit out until the six-minute mark of the fourth quarter.
With the Bengals down 14, they were pushing for every point. Senior forward Hallie Wright got matched up with Gardner and drove to the paint, putting up a shot that was blocked by Gardner. Gardner grabbed the rebound and raced up the court.
She dished it to dos Santos, who in turn found her on the left side of the court. Without hesitation, Gardner put up the three and swished it to put the Vandals out of reach. A few possessions later, she drilled another three-pointer and sealed the game for the Vandals, giving her 14 points and five rebounds.
As the clock ticked out and Idaho dribbled the ball out, the buzzer sounded and they had won back King Spud. Gardner picked up the trophy and carried it to the locker room. The Vandals will now return home as they look to finish their last five games strong, with four of those at ICCU Arena.
Idaho will battle the (6-19, 2-11) Portland State Vikings on Thursday, Feb. 19, at 6 p.m.