MOSCOW - The Idaho women's basketball team led from start to finish in a 63-40 win over Carroll College in Memorial Gym Thursday night.
After an early 2-2 tie the Vandals (3-6) used a 13-0 run to take the lead for good. Idaho got to the free throw line 16 times in the first half and converted on 13 of those attempts, and sophomore Alyssa Charlston knocked down a 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer to give the Vandals a 37-22 halftime lead.
Charlston had 17 of her career-high 22 points in the first half, and added nine rebounds, three blocks, two assists and a steal in 25 minutes of action. She went 7-for-8 from the free throw line and 7-for-10 from the field overall.
"I need to have more confidence in my shooting," Charlston said after the game. "Coach has been helping me with the shots I need to be shooting that will help my team. We are a young team, we are still learning and still improving and we are very invested in what coach wants us to do."
Idaho added to its lead in the second half, going ahead by as many as 28, its largest lead of the season, at 59-31 with just under nine minutes to play.
Despite the 23-point victory, there were a couple weaknesses that coach Jon Newlee would still like to work out. The Vandals gave up 16 offensive rebounds which led to 10 Carroll points, and 17 turnovers with led to 12 points.
"Turnovers have hurt us this year," Newlee said. "Everyone has to step up. They (Carroll) are well coached but we were our own worst enemy tonight. We need to keep it simple, keep our hands up and keep focused."
Idaho junior Jessica Graham scored all eight of her points in the second half, and added eight rebounds in the game as well. She went 4-of-7 from the field and had three of her boards on the offensive end.
Keri Arendse finished with seven points, a career-high six assists, five rebounds and a block in the game and turned the ball over just once in 31 minutes of play. Freshman Stacey Barr had 11 points, seven rebounds two assists and two steals in the game.
The Vandals shot 40.7 percent from the field, but continued to struggle from long-range, hitting just 3-of-15 3-pointers. Idaho entered the game shooting a Western Athletic Conference worst 23.7 percent from 3. The Vandals had season-highs with 16 made free throws and nine blocks, including four from sophomore Ashley Walters.
Carroll (3-4) hit just 26.6 percent of its shots and its 40 points were a season-low for an Idaho opponent. The Vandals held a 52-38 advantage on the glass.
The game was the first of three in a row at home for the Vandals. Idaho's action will shift to the Cowan Spectrum for the remainder of its home schedule and it hosts UC Riverside on Dec. 15 and Wyoming on Dec. 18 before hitting the road again.
