MOSCOW, Idaho - The Vandals host Grand Canyon this weekend on Sunday, December 17th at 2 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and will be available via radio broadcast on AM 840 KMAX or GoVandals.com. The game will honor local women in leadership in the Moscow community in the spirit of Title IX. They will be recognized during the game.
ABOUT IDAHO: The Vandals lost their lone game last week at Oregon. The 59-51 loss marked their first one on the road this season. Although the Vandals lost, Idaho put up a great effort including many chances to over take the game.
Kennedy Johnson led Idaho with 15 points and six rebounds followed by Hope Butera with 13 points and five rebounds. Johnson was just three points shy of tying her career high. Butera pulled up from three four times in the game and drained three of them. Prior to the game, Butera had never made a three in her collegiate career.
Amalie Langer leads Idaho with 80 points on the season, averaging 10 per game, closely followed behind by Johnson with 79 (9.9ppg). Butera dominates the boards, with 69 on the season and an average of 8.6 per game. Sarah Schmitt is a play maker, averaging 3.4 assists per game and has 27 total.
ABOUT GRAND CANYON: The Lopes are an impressive 7-2 on the season. This past week, they started WAC regular season play with two wins split at home and on the road. They started the week with a 63-50 win vs UT Rio Grande Valley on Wednesday. The Lopes closed out the weekend with a 77-48 win at UT Arlington.
GCU has faced to familiar foes this year in Oregon and Montana, which happen to be their two losses. GCU hosted both teams resulting in a 64-56 loss to Oregon and 76-71 loss to Montana.
The Lopes are lethal from three-point range, ranking 25th in the NCAA with a percentage of 37.8%. Naudia Evans leads the team with a 42.2% from three and 2.11 three-pointers per game. Trinity San Antonio leads the WAC in assists (45), assists per game (5.0), FG % (44.3%), and steals per game (1.89).
SERIES HISTORY: Idaho and Grand Canyon have met four times in the past and the Vandals have the edge, 3-1. The teams first met in 2014 and faced each other twice that season. Last year, on Dec. 18, the Vandals defeated the Lopes 81-78 in overtime in Phoenix. Sydney Gandy led the team with 20 points and scored the tying points to send the game into overtime.
