MOSCOW ? Idaho outshot Fresno State, forced the Bulldogs into more turnovers and even led for most of the half, but the Lady Bulldogs took advantage of a late 11-point run and the Vandals fell 68-59 on Saturday at the Cowan Spectrum.
The loss sends Idaho to 1-14 overall with an 0-3 Western Athletic Conference record, while Fresno State won its sixth straight to go to 8-8 on the season and 3-0 in the WAC.
“The kids played really hard,” Idaho coach Mike Divilbiss said. “They stuck to the game plan, they worked hard and you can see a bright future for us.
“You can see the athleticism, the commitment and the desire?we just have to mature as a basketball team.”
The Vandals controlled the first half with solid shooting and great defense. The Lady Bulldogs had jumped to quick, big halftime leads in both their previous WAC games, but the Vandals forced them into turnovers and tough shots and went into halftime with a 31-28 lead of its own, just the second halftime lead of the season.
After starting the first 20 minutes hot, the Vandal offense went cold for the first five minutes of the second and allowed Fresno State to go on an 11-0 run that saw an Idaho five-point lead evaporate and turn into a six-point Bulldog lead. Idaho kept within a few points for the next five minutes, but then the Lady Bulldogs streaked away again, this time on a 14-4 run, to put the game away for good.
“I thought we went through a little stretch of time where we lost our poise, but we showed some resiliency and got back in it,” Divilbiss said.
“Athletics both reveals and builds character and you really find out what you're like when it gets tough. I'm really proud of the kids and the attitude and the effort that they're displaying.”
Katie Madison led the Idaho scoring attack with 19 points on nine-of-14 shooting, while Yinka Olorunnife added 10 with six rebounds. Alana Curtis scored nine and grabbed three steals. Charlotte Otero had a season-high five assists, along with four steals.
Idaho led the entire first half and led by as much as 10 at 26-16 at the 3:59 mark. The poor shooting that had haunted the Vandals was non-existent, as the team hit 27-of-57 from the floor for a season-high .474 shooting percentage. Idaho outscored Fresno State 32-28 in the paint and 19-10 in points of turnovers. Despite being outrebounded by 20, the Vandals tied the Bulldogs in second-chance points at 12 each.
Three Fresno State players scored in double-digits, as Tierre Wilson put up 22 with 8 rebounds, LaShaunte Stephens dropped 12 points and Jaleesa Ross had 10 with six rebounds. The Lady Bulldogs finished the game shooting .444 from the floor.
The Idaho women have another pair of home games next week, as they face Nevada on Thursday and Utah State on Saturday. Both games will be a 7 p.m. at the Cowan Spectrum.
