CEDAR CITY, Utah- The University of Idaho Women's basketball team (12-5,7-1) topped the Southern Utah University Thunderbirds (9-8,3-5) 71-56 in America First Event Center for their fifth consecutive win. Idaho held the Thunderbirds to just 56 points in the game, outscoring the home team 39-27, while scoring a season-high 71 points in regulation. Six Vandals scored at least nine points in the win, led by Lizzy Klinker, Gina Marxen, and Beyonce Bea who scored 14, 13 and 12, respectively. A strong offensive performance was complimented with a strong defensive performance as the Vandals held the Big Sky leading scorer, Rebecca Cardenas to just nine points in the game.

THE GAME


Idaho fell behind to Southern Utah to begin the game before Lizzy Klinker put Idaho ahead 8-7 with her third consecutive bucket.
The Vandals and Thunderbirds traded points throughout the first period. However, Idaho held an 18-16 lead at the end of the period following a three-pointer from Janie King with four seconds remaining. King knocked down two three-pointers in the final minute and a half of the first for the Vandals.
Less than two minutes in to the second period King drained her third three of the game to give Idaho a 24-18 lead.
With 4:12 remaining in the second period and the game tied 25-25, Hailey Christopher scored seven points over the next two minutes pushing Idaho to a 32-25 with 2:11 left to play.
Southern Utah ended the half on a 4-0 run, but the Vandals held a 32-29 lead at the break.
 Idaho's offense was firing on all cylinders in the third period as Gina Marxen and Beyonce Bea opened with back-to-back three-pointers, pushing the lead to 38-29. The Vandals scored a game-high 24 points in the third while holding Southern Utah to just 13 points.
A 9-0 run in the period saw the Vandals build a 14-point lead over the Thunderbirds, 56-42, entering the fourth period.
A free-throw from Isabelle Hadden at the 1:38 mark in the first gave Idaho an 18-point lead, 70-52, their largest of the night. Idaho would go on to win, giving the Thunderbirds their first home loss, 71-56.
 
 

THE QUOTES

Lizzy Klinker
"They are a great team and it's a great atmosphere to play in. They have been good so and it was good to come in feed off the energy and get the win."
"It was a great team win today. Coach said we needed to attack hard downhill on offense. We had great outside shots and attacked the basket well tonight."
 
"This year our biggest strength is our team effort and energy. It was great to see everyone contribute and lock down on defense."
 
 


HEAD COACH JON NEWLEE

"Gina did a fantastic job on Cardenas tonight and we had great team defense. We didn't want to foul her and send her to the line. I can't say enough about Gina and the entire squads defense tonight!"
 
We came out in the beginning and moved the basketball well and in the second half we ran different stuff and thought we executed well and finished well, but we still allowed too many shots for them at the line tonight."
 
"It's awesome when you can go to the bench and get that kind of production. Janie was huge in giving us that spark. It was nice seeing Issy knock down that midrange jumper again."
 
"They have brought it on the defensive end of the floor and its really producing for us."
"There's a reason these guys are undefeated at home. They play hard and they are a talented group. To be able to do what we did here is really special."
 
THE NOTES


Idaho's 71 points tonight was the most of any game this season in regulation. Idaho totaled 90 points earlier this season in double-overtime against Seattle.
The Vandals held Rebecca Cardenas to just nine points on 3-of-16 shooting from the floor. Entering the game, Cardenas was the leading scorer in the Big Sky with nearly 18 points per game.
Idaho recorded 15 assists in the win led by Gina Marxen who tied her season-high with eight.
The Vandals shot 41.9 percent from the floor in the win on 26-of-62 shooting while holding the Thunderbirds to just 30 percent on 18-of-60 shooting from the floor.
Idaho also knocked down eight three-pointers int eh win compared to just five for Southern Utah.
The Vandals outrebounded Southern Utah 42 to 35, led by Lizzy and Natalie Klinker each with nine.


The Idaho bench stepped up in a big way tonight with 27 points. Isabelle Hadden, Hailey Christopher, and Janie King each contributed nine points.
Lizzy Klinker led Idaho with 14 points while Gina Marxen chipped in 13 and Beyonce Bea added 12.

THE NAME
Lizzy Klinker led the Vandals offensively tonight with 14 points. Klinker scored six consecutive points in the first period giving Idaho the early lead. Klinker also grabbed nine rebounds, dished out three assists, and recorded one steal and one block.

UP NEXT

The Vandals will return home for a three-game home stand beginning on Feb. 1^st, at 2 p.m. against Northern Arizona.