MOSCOW, Idaho ? The littlest of them all grabbed what easily can be considered the biggest rebound of the night. Then she took it coast-to-coast for what wound up the game-winning series in Idaho's 69-66 Western Athletic Conference victory over San Jose State. Freshman Charlotte Otero decided it was time to take charge as time wound down in the Vandals' regular-season finale. A 15-point Idaho halftime lead had evaporated and the Vandals were trailing by one, 66-65, when Otero grabbed Brittney Powell's miss and scampered the length of the court to score. Her layup pushed Idaho head by one and the ensuing free throw made it 68-66.
“I knew I had to go to the basket,” said Otero, who, at 5-foot-3, is the shortest Vandal. “I just tried to take it as hard as I could.”
San Jose State still had a shot at regaining the lead it held sporadically throughout the evening but Lynette Jacobs' field-goal attempt rebounded hard off the front of the rim and Otero again went for the board. She made one of two free throws with 11.3 seconds to play as Idaho inched ahead, 69-66.
Jacobs launched a 3 with three seconds remaining. It began to drop through the net but spun back out. To enhance the late-game dramatics, the ball was knocked out of bounds in the rebound scramble and the Spartans had one last chance. This time, Natalie White's shot fell way short and the Vandals were able to celebrate the victory that snapped a seven-game skid and gave them a reason to celebrate on the night they bade their two seniors farewell.
Ironically, the Vandals and Spartans play again ? when they meet in the first game of the WAC Tournament Tuesday at Las Cruces, N.M. Idaho heads into the tournament as the ninth seed with a 6-21 overall mark (3-13 WAC) and San Jose State is the eighth at 4-26 (4-12).
The early minutes of the game featured a give and take before the Vandals settled into a rhythm that led to them scoring 15 of the last 17 points over the last nine minutes of the first half for a 38-23 halftime lead. As much as they were in sync during that run, they were out of tune as the second half unfolded. The Spartans steadily chipped away before putting together a 11-point run that led to a 52-52 deadlock with 7:57 to play. Idaho regained a four-point lead once during the remaining minutes; San Jose State had a three-point edge at one time. But neither team could take a firm grasp. Enter Otero.
“I needed to step up,” she said. “I needed to take it into my own hands.”
It was the reaction coach Mike Divilbiss wanted to see. “You step up in life,” he said, “you take your best shot and you live with it.” Otero finished the game with 14 points, six rebounds and four assists. Katie Madison notched her 10th double-double with 20 points and 13 rebounds, while Lindsey Koppen set the tempo in the first half with a 3-point barrage that led to 11 of her 13 points.
Jacobs led three San Jose State players in double figures with 17. Myosha Barnes added 13 and Powell 10. Powell and Jacobs had 11 rebounds each as the Spartans built a 52-41 rebounding advantage.
