MOSCOW, Idaho –The University of Idaho women's basketball team improved to 9-5 overall and 8-2 in Big Sky play defeating Weber State (0-11, 0-8) 74-62 Saturday afternoon. Idaho trailed by five points after the first period and held just a two-point lead at halftime. The Vandals outscored Weber State 23-13 in the third period, taking a 53-41 lead. Idaho held off Weber State in the fourth period on the way to a 74-62 win on the road. Beyonce Bea led the Vandals in scoring with 24 points and on the boards nine rebounds, as four Vandals scored in double-figures.
 
THE GAME

Weber State scored the first points of the game when Jadyn Matthews converted an and-one at the line, less than 30 seconds in. Beyonce Bea responded for the Vandals, converting a jumper in the paint at the 8:28 mark. Over the next three minutes the Wildcats held Idaho scoreless, going on a 10-0 run to lead 13-2. Bea ended the scoring drought with a jumper at the 5:16 mark. A 10-2 run from the Vandals, capped with a Gabi Harrington three pointer, cut Weber States lead to five, 17-12, at the end of the period.

Two minutes and 13 seconds into the second period Sydney Gandy gave the Vandals their first lead of the game, 20-19, draining a three-pointer. Idaho quickly extended their lead to five over the Wildcats, 24-19, following a Rylee Alexander layup and a Harrington jumper. With 3:14 to go in the period Harrington added a free-throw to extend Idaho's lead to six, 29-23, their largest lead at that point. A 5-0 Wildcat run chipped away at Idaho's lead. Bea responded with a free-throw in the final seconds giving the Vandals a 30-28 lead at the half.

The third period was all Idaho as the squad outscored Weber State 23-13. Weber State tied the game 30-30 to open the period before the Vandals regained control. Back-to-back three-pointers from Harrington and Bea extended Idaho's lead to four, 36-32, at the 7:15 mark. Over the next two minutes Harrington scored nine straight points for the Vandals, extending the lead to nine, 43-34. A pair of free-throws from Gina Marxen with 3:27 remaining in the fourth capped a 18-4 run for the Vandals to lead 48-34. Weber State chipped away at the Vandals lead down the stretch of the period, but Marxen gave Idaho a 12-point advantage with a three-pointer in the final minute. The Vandals led 53-41 at the end of the third.

In the fourth both Idaho and Weber State totaled 21 points. At the 7:53 mark Weber State's Aloma Solovi cut Idaho's lead to eight, 56-48, but Bea responded with a thee putting the Vandals back up by 11. Sydney Gandy notched a pair of threes in the fourth period including her third of the game at the 2:07 mark, putting the Vandals up by 16, their largest lead of the game. Weber State's comeback fell short as the Vandals continued to respond. Gandy and Marxen closed out the game at the free-throw line for the Vandals on the way to a 74-62 win.  

THE QUOTES Head Coach Jon Newlee

"We had to have a little chat on that timeout I took and remind them of some things energy wise. We talked about it in the locker room before we came out, but we had none. We were flat. I told them, 'These guys are a desperate team. They haven't won a game. They are going to come out and play hard. We embarrassed them last night. They are going to come out hard.' I think we really had to endure that first punch from them because I thought this might go like that the way it started so I wasn't surprised, but I love the way we just dug our heels back in and slowly grinded away and got in front."

"I figured they were going to go inside and use their huge size advantage that they have. I know they probably weren't happy taking the amount of threes they took yesterday. I saw that 0-2 through three quarters from three and reminded them. I thought we got better help and we played behind some more and made them take some tough shots in the paint. They are big inside and I thought Beyonce in particular did a great job for two games of having to deal with that, with no Nat and no Hailey. Rylee is undersized and I thought she did an excellent job as well."

"I told Bea at the end of the game 'Great job for leading us in these two games.' I also told Gina 'You have to get after it and not be passive.' And Gina really stepped up her game getting to the free-throw line in the second half going nine for nine and it was huge cause we needed her leadership out there as well. She can't play passive she has to be attacking like she did in the second half, and I thought she was fantastic."

"They got tired and I knew they were going to get tired. I said, 'Look they are getting tired we have to keep attacking and we have to keep that attack mentality' I thought everybody really did a great job of that."

"I was really glad to see a couple go through from three for Sydney because she is a good three-point shooter and tends to get down on herself a little bit. 'I told her if they leave you open you have to make them pay.' It was nice to see a couple splash through"
 
THE NAME

 Gina Marxen played all 40 minutes for the Vandals in the win. She scored 14 points and finished 9-for-9 from the free-throw line. Marxen also grabbed four rebounds and tied her season-high with eight assists.
 
THE NOTES

 Beyonce Bea led all scorers with 24 points in the contest. She also recorded a team-high nine rebounds. The Vandals outrebounded Weber state 36-35 and held a 13-6 advantage on the offensive boards.

Gabi Harrington added a career-high 18 points and totaled seven rebounds. She finished four of five from the free-throw line and added one steal.

Gina Marxen and Sydney gandy rounded out a group of four players who scored in double-digits. Marxen chipped in 14 while Gandy added 10. Gandy drilled two three pointers in the fourth period.

Marxen led the Vandals with eight assists and only one turnover. The Vandals only turned the ball over seven times and totaled 15 assists.

Idaho made ten three-pointers compared to just two for Weber State.

Idaho outscored the Wildcats 21-8 in points off turnovers. Weber State turned the ball over 16 times.
 
UP NEXT:
 
The Vandals will take on Eastern Washington on Thursday, Feb. 4, in Cheney, WA, before completing the series on Saturday in Moscow.