MOSCOW, Idaho—The University of Idaho women's basketball team took the court on Tuesday night and overwhelmed Central Washington with its depth and offensive prowess with a 73-37 win in exhibition play. All 13 Vandals saw game-action, with 10 tallying baskets on the night.
The Vandals started strong with an 8-0 run the first 1:09 of the game. Just under the 16 minute mark Idaho had extended its lead to 18-8. Senior Stacey Barr and junior Christina Salvatore both scored six points in the opening run. Each of the guards hit their first two three-point attempts of the night. Barr finished with a game-high 16 points, while Salvatore wound up with 10 on the night.
“I like the way we started the game,” head coach Jon Newlee commented. “I thought offensively we came our really firing. Defensively, I thought we were moving well, getting in some of their driving lanes. I liked the entire first half really.”
Idaho took a 39-16 lead into halftime, with Salvatore leading the way shooting 4-of-8 from the field and 2-of-6 from downtown. As a team Idaho shot 48.6 percent from the floor and 41.7 percent from three-point range. On the other side of the court Central Washington made just six of its 22 first-half field goal attempts and shot 11.1 percent from long range.
Newlee mixed up the Vandals lineup in the second half, letting his bench see more time. Karlee Wilson spelled Connie Ballestero for much of the second half. Ballestero recorded seven assists in 14 minutes of action in the first half, ending the night with eight assists. Wilson recorded three assists in her 13 second-half minutes.
Ali Forde, just hours before heading to Southern Utah for Thursday's volleyball match, finished the night with 12 points and a 54.6 field goal percentage. Junior Brooke Reilly got the starting nod, seeing her first significant action since missing the final third of the season last year due to injury. Reilly finished with six points and three rebounds.
The play of Idaho's newcomers is one of the few unknowns as the team approaches the start of the regular season. Aussie freshman Geraldine McCorkell put any doubts to rest, coming off the bench and scoring 11 points in 13 minutes. Freshman Bethany Krause added seven points and two rebounds and two steals.
Idaho will return to action Friday, Nov. 14 at CSUN. The Matadors won the Big West last year with an 18-15 record, advancing to the NCAA Tournament. Opening tip is set for 2 p.m. PT.
