FINAL SCORE: Idaho 80, Weber State 67
RECORDS: Idaho (20-5, 11-1), Weber State (7-19, 1-12)
IDAHO LEADERS: Hope Hassmann (25 points),
Ana Pinheiro and Debora Dos Sanots (eight rebounds), Hassmann (five assists)
NOTABLES:
- Hope Hassmann surpassed the 1,000-career point plateau
- With 25 points, Hassmann also scored her career high
- The Vandals have won nine games in a row, and 12 of their last 13
- This was the 16th game Idaho scored 80 or more points – the Vandals have a 15-1 record in those games
- Idaho outrebounded the Wildcats 43-26, and is now 17-4 when outrebounding its opponents
- The Vandals have now won 21 of the last 23 games against Weber State
- Idaho held Weber State to nearly seven scoreless minutes in the fourth quarter
- This is Idaho's first 20-win season since 2019-20 when the Vandals went 22-9
QUOTABLES
"Weber State and Coach Jackson did a great job from the tip, staying aggressive and attacking us and making shots. It's never easy to play and win on the road, and we have earned the respect of the conference, so everybody will always be ready to play us.
I am proud of our effort and how we decided to execute our halftime adjustments. We came out with toughness and got some key stops in the second half that allowed us to get this win on the road." –
Arthur Moreira
OGDEN, Utah – Hope Hassmann stole the show, surpassing the 1,000-career point plateau and scoring a career high 25 points as the Idaho Vandals (20-5, 11-1) beat the Weber State Wildcats (7-19, 1-12) in the Dee Events Center on Thursday night.
It was a track meet of a first half for both teams, as the Vandals and the Wildcats both had their offenses cooking. Notably, just two minutes into the contest,
Hope Hassmann caught a pass on the right wing, crossed over to her left, dashed into the lane and scooped it off the glass for two, giving her 1,000 points in her career.
The fun was just getting started for the combo guard from Maple Valley, Wash.
Idaho's trademark pace took control in the first two quarters as they controlled the game at halftime with a six-point lead, but Weber State's red-hot three-point shooting kept the Wildcats in the game, as Idaho took a 52-46 lead to the locker rooms. By half, Hassmann had 12 points, cashing in on a pair of threes. Weber State shot 10-15 from three in the first half, but the Vandal defense put a stop to that as the whistle sounded to start the third.
Idaho's defense put the clamps on Weber State in the second half, holding the Cats to just 19 points for the third and fourth quarters combined, and limiting WSU to 2-12 shooting from outside. With 6:06 left in the game and the Vandals up 11, Hassmann stepped up from the top of the key and connected from outside again, giving her a new career high of 25 points. Idaho went on to hold an 80-64 lead with just seconds remaining, but the Wildcats hit a halfcourt buzzer beater to close the game with a final score of 80-67.
The Vandals secure a 20-win season – the program's first since 2019-20 – and are the first team in the Big Sky Conference to reach that milestone. Riding a nine-game winning streak, Idaho is on its longest such stretch since the 2013-14 season when the Vandals won 10 in a row. With the victory, Idaho has now won 21 of the last 23 games against Weber State, and has swept the Wildcats for the second straight season.
UP NEXT: The Vandals make their move to Pocatello where they will play Idaho State in the Battle for King Spud. That game will take place on Saturday, tip off is set for 1 p.m. PT and can be seen on ESPN+.
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