DENVER, Colo. – The Vandal women's basketball team defeated Denver, 60-51 on Wednesday night. The victory earned the Big Sky 1.5 points toward the Big Sky – Summit Challenge between the conferences. Sarah Schmitt led the team with a season-high 13 points.
Idaho improved to 8-5 on the season and extended their win streak to four games, three of which have been on the road. Hope Butera grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds, marking her fifth game with 10-plus rebounds this season. Schmitt shot 44.4% (4-9) from the field, 50% from three (1-2) and 80% (4-5) from the free throw line. Amalie Langer joined Schmitt in the double digits, picking up 12 points.
The first half of play was a lackluster effort from both squads as they scored less than 30 points each. The first quarter set the tone for the half as both Idaho and Denver fought to gain the lead. Idaho stormed out first, going up 2-0 with a layup from Kennedy Johnson. The Pioneers quickly responded, gaining an edge 5-2. The Vandals' hands went cold as they shot 1-6 from the field until Schmitt scored from the paint to regain the lead 6-2. Denver fought back and climbed up on two free throws, making the score 7-6. The Pioneers would then go on to hold the lead until the third quarter.
The second half was much of the same as the Vandals struggled to find the breakthrough. In previous games, Idaho has been successful beyond the arc finding the back of the net more than once in a quarter, but in this game, they shot 0-4 from three in the first half. Idaho could not capitalize on opportunities, failing to hit open shots and coming up short on layups while Denver cushioned the lead.
By the time that the half was called, Denver had outscored Idaho in both periods to lead 28-23. The Pioneers were efficient with their chances, scoring on fewer attempts and more three-pointers than the Vandals. Denver shot 39.1% (9-23) from FG, 40% (4-10) from three, and 6-6 from FT while Idaho shot 34.5% (10-29) from FG, 0-4 from three, and 3-6 from FT. Due to the low-scoring half, Langer led the team with only five points while three others had four apiece. Butera dominated the boards with eight rebounds.
The Vandals turned the game around after the half time as Asha Phillips broke the seal and scored the first three for Idaho to bring the score within two, 30-32. The Pioneers became stagnant in their offense while Idaho started to convert their opportunities and create better chances overall. Ashlyn Wallace was a defensive force, picking up three steals in the game, one of which brought the score within one at 32-33. The effort paid off as the Vandals tied up the game twice in the quarter, forcing Denver to stay aggressive at the net.
As the game entered the fourth quarter, Denver led 40-38. Langer gave Idaho their first lead since the first quarter on a shot from behind the arc. Butera cushioned the lead with two points in the paint while Idaho went on an 8-0 run leaving Denver scoreless for over four minutes. Both teams seemed to hit a plateau as they went scoreless for over two minutes until Denver broke the seal, bringing the game back within one point. Schmitt attacked the net and earned an "and 1" to extend the lead to four points. As the final minutes ticked on, Denver resorted to fouling Idaho to save time. The Vandals were clutch at the line, going 12-13 in the period, and extended the lead to nine points. Idaho's fourth-quarter strategy paid off as they earned their sixth win away from home this season.
Every Vandal that stepped on the court today contributed at least four points as Idaho improved to a perfect 5-0 all-time against Denver. The win also marked Idaho's first win after trailing at halftime. The Vandals finished the game shooting 37.7% (20-53) from the field, 40% (4-10) from three, and 76.2% (16-2) from the free throw line.
The Vandals will finish their fourth consecutive game on the road at Chicago State on Saturday at 11 a.m. PST as they finish their non-conference schedule.
