MOSCOW - Four Vandals scored in double figures, but a late rally by the Idaho women's basketball team wasn't enough to overcome a 17-point second-half deficit as the Nevada Wolf Pack topped Idaho 76-70 in the Cowan Spectrum Monday night.
The Vandals fall to 5-15 on the season and 0-4 in the Western Athletic Conference with the loss, while Nevada improves to 5-13 and 1-2 in the WAC.
"We kind of picked it up when we got in desperation mode, but there shouldn't have to be a desperation mode," Idaho coach Jon Newlee said. "I'm disappointed, another missed opportunity to get a WAC win at home in a game I feel like we should win."
Idaho trailed 68-51 with 5:16 to play before going on a 19-5 tear to pull within five with the ball with 26 seconds left. But a costly turnover and a Nevada offensive rebound on its ensuing possession sealed Idaho's seventh consecutive loss.
"That's the word I would use, frustrating," Newlee said. "This team frustrates me with the up and down even during a game, much less game-to-game, but during a game."
The Vandals, who have been plagued by turnovers and rebounding for much of the season, were better in those areas Monday, owning a 16-9 advantage in points off turnovers and giving up just a 16-13 deficit in second-chance points. Idaho finished with 13 turnovers in the game and gave up 14 offensive boards. Idaho also outscored Nevada 38-26 in the paint in what was a physical game on both ends.
"I think they took to heart what I talked about after the game on Saturday with people trying to manhandle us," Newlee said. "You get that reputation and all of the sudden that's what happens, and you've got to fight back and stick up for yourself, and I thought we took a step in that direction tonight for sure."
Idaho hit 39 percent of its shots but missed its first 12 3-point attempts and finished the game just 3-of-19 from long range. Meanwhile Nevada shot 45 percent from the field and hit 6-of-17 3-pointers.
"Definitely from 3 we were ice cold," Newlee said. "I thought we had some good looks and they weren't going in. They made some big shots when they needed to, and finished at the rim. They made their big shots and we didn't make ours."
Idaho sophomore Alyssa Charlston led the Vandals with her seventh double-double of the season, as she finished with 17 points and a career-high 16 rebounds. Senior Ganeaya Rogers went 6-of-11 from the field to score 13 points and added three steals, while freshman Tayler Weiks scored 12 points for the Vandals. Senior Jessica Graham matched her season-high with 10 points and grabbed six rebounds, including four on the offensive end.
"I'm feeling a lot more confident with my knee, and when that happens I feel like I can do a lot more and be more aggressive," said Graham, who has missed substantial time over the past three seasons with knee injuries. "We really stepped up from how we have been playing. We used to be soft, as coach would say, and we've really been working on that lately."
The Vandals went 13-of-18 from the free throw line in the game, and converted all four of their three-point-play opportunities from the stripe.
Three Nevada players went 5-for-11 from the field, including Amanda Johnson and Chanelle Brennan, who each finished with 15 points, to go along with Kate Kevorken, who scored a game-high 18 points.
The Vandals will return to action Saturday when they wrap up their three game home stand against Utah State at 5:30 p.m. That game is the first half of a doubleheader, as the Vandal men take on Hawai'i at 8 p.m. in the Cowan Spectrum.
