📍 Cheney, Wash. | Reese Court (6,000)
🗓 Saturday, Jan. 3, 2 p.m. 
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GAME NOTES (PDF) 
 
CHENEY, Wash. – Along with the new year comes a new basketball season, as Big Sky Conference action starts up this week for the Idaho Vandals Women's Basketball team. To tip off the new year, the Vandals (9-4, 0-0), will be traveling to Cheney, Wash. where they will take on the Eastern Washington Eagles (7-6, 0-0).
 
The game will tipoff at 2 p.m. in Cheney and can be seen locally on SWX or online on ESPN+ with Jamie Council and Jamie Loera on the call. It can also be heard on the radio with the Voice of the Vandals, Doug Taylor, broadcasting the game.
 
The Vandals just wrapped up one of their more successful non-conference schedules in program history, going 9-4 and giving the team its best start to a season since 2015-16, when the team went 11-5 in non-conference action. Idaho was one of two teams in the conference to reach the nine-win plateau in its non-conference slate, tied with Northern Colorado for the most in the Big Sky. 
 
Idaho has been elite in several statistical categories all season. The Vandals have led the conference all season long in scoring, lighting the scoreboard for 82.6 points per game – ranking 21^st in the nation. UI's average margin of 14.4 is also tops in the Big Sky. 
 
One of the staples of Head Coach Arthur Moreira's tenure is elite rebounding. Last season, the team was one of the best in the nation at crashing the glass, and this year is no different. The Vandals lead the Big Sky and rank in the top 20 in the nation in every major rebounding statistic, coming in at No. 3 in the country with 48.1 rebounds per contest.  Idaho also leads the Big Sky in blocks per game, averaging 4.46.
 
The Vandals have four players who are scoring in double figures, led by all-conference guard Hope Hassmann. The junior is having the best season of her career and leads Idaho with 14.2 points per contest. She's shooting 42.6% from the floor and 38% from outside, as well as grabbing 3.7 rebounds and dishing out 4.3 assists per game – all of which are career highs. 
 
Kyra Gardner is also having the best year of her career since she transferred across the Palouse from Washington State to Idaho. In the Vandals' last game, Gardner recorded the first triple-double from an Idaho player in seven years, putting up 12 points, 12 rebounds, and a career-high 10 assists. Gardner has also recorded double-doubles in Idaho's games against Denver and Utah State. 
 
Eastern Washington enters the game at 7-6. EWU ranks middle of the pack in the Big Sky as far as offensive and defensive scoring are concerned, ranking fifth and sixth, respectively. Kourtney Grossman leads the team in scoring and rebounding, putting up 13.8 points and snatching 12.2 rebounds per outing. 

IDAHO NOTES 

• The Vandals have made 98 three-pointers this season, and have made a three ball in 557 consecutive games.
• With Arthur Moreira at the helm, Idaho has the first Brazilian head coach in Division I history. The Vandals also have the most Brazilians on roster of any team in Division I with three.
• Idaho has one of the youngest coaching staffs in Division I, with an average age of 32.
• UI has scored 80 or more points nine times this year, and is 8-1 in those contests.

TICKETS: Tickets can be purchased here or by calling the Vandal ticket office at (208) 885-6466. 

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