MOSCOW, Idaho—Freshman Mikayla Ferenz totaled a season-high 25 points to lead the Vandals to a 76-59 win over Northern Arizona on Saturday. The win, the team's fourth in a row, improves Idaho to 9-2 in Big Sky play and 17-6 overall.
The freshman from Walla Walla, Wash., turned in her best performance as a Vandal. She was 9-of-16 from the field and 5-for-10 from behind the line. She provided a majority of Idaho's 40 bench-points, individually outscoring the entire NAU bench by 13.
"She [Ferenz] really came in and jump started our offense," head coach Jon Newlee explained. "She missed her first couple and looked a bit hesitant. We told her to keep shooting and once she it that first three you could see her confidence was back.”
Ferenz was one of three Vandals to score in double figures on Saturday. Her buzzer-beater at the end of the first half gave her 18 points at the break, matching her previous high. Senior Ali Forde recorded her 18th career double-double, totaling 15 points and 12 rebounds. Christina Salvatore closed the day with 12 points, six rebounds and five assists.
Northern Arizona (6-16, 2-9 BSC) came out of the gate swinging. The Lumberjacks got up by as many as eight in the first quarter. It took a 10-0 run by the Vandals to regain the lead at the end of the quarter. A pair of Ferenz free throws put Idaho in front 19-17 after the first.
Christina Salvatore broke a 27-27 tie with a three-ball late in the second, helping Idaho weather another strong push from NAU at the start of the quarter. NAU cut the lead to 32-30 with three seconds left in the half. Karlee Wilson inbounded the ball across the half-line to Forde at the top of the arc. Forde quickly found Ferenz to her left, who beat the buzzer to take a 35-30 lead.
“[Today] felt good,” Ferenz laughed. “It felt really good. But all credit to my coaches and teammates. They found me. Ali found me [at the end of the second] and Sal found me at the end of third.
“Teams just worry so much about Sal and Ali and our other players because they are so good. I think I find myself open a lot because they are really good. I would worry about them too.”
Another 6-0 start for the Lumberjacks gave the lead back to NAU, 36-35, early on in the third. Connie Ballestero hit her first basket of the day to push Idaho ahead for good, 39-38, with 6:55 to play in the frame. Ferenz hit her second buzzer beater of the game and fifth on the season to close the quarter with a nine point lead, 49-40.
Taylor Pierce put the Vandals up by 14 with 6:27 to play in the fourth. NAU cut the lead down to 10, 60-50, with 4:39 to play. Idaho's largest lead of the afternoon came at 71-53 thanks to a Ballestero layup with 1:23 to play.
The Vandal defense held NAU to just 29 points in the second half. Idaho kept Alyssa Rader, NAU's leading scorer, without a field goal for the first time this season. She was 0-for-9 from the field on Saturday. Rader started the day averaging 14.0 points per game. The Vandals held her to just two points from the free-throw line on the day.
“I felt like I could handle her,” Forde said about guarding Rader. “Our coaches did a great job on scout this week. I kind of knew all of her moves.”
For more information on Idaho Athletics, visit GoVandals.com. Fans can also follow Idaho women's basketball on Twitter, @VandalsWBB.
