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Team
41
Northern Colo. UNC 21-9,12-5 Big Sky
55
Winner Idaho UI 25-5,16-1 Big Sky
Northern Colo. UNC
21-9,12-5 Big Sky
41
Final
55
Idaho UI
25-5,16-1 Big Sky
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Northern Colo. UNC 17 5 9 10 41
Idaho UI 13 9 13 20 55

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

Vandals Claim Conference Crown, Clinch Top Seed in Starch Madness, Beat Bears 55-41

FINAL SCORE: Idaho 55, Northern Colorado 41
RECORDS: Idaho (25-5, 16-1), Northern Colorado (21-9, 12-5)
IDAHO LEADERS: Hope Hassmann (12 points), Debora Dos Santos (11 rebounds), Hassmann (six assists) 

NOTABLES:
  • The Vandals clinch the No. 1 seed in next week's Big Sky Conference tournament
  • Idaho wins its first conference championship since 2019, and its fifth since 2013
  • With 16 conference wins, Idaho ties the 2018-19 season for the most conference wins in a season in program history
  • Idaho has now won 14 games in a row, tying the second-longest winning streak in program history (15, 1984-85)
  • This win marks Arthur Moreira's 43rd career win, passing Tara VanDerveer for fifth most wins in Idaho history
  • 55 is Idaho's lowest point total in a win this season
  • The Vandals celebrated the careers of seven seniors in a pregame ceremony (Anja Bukvic, Catelyn Deaver, Mary McMorris, Sarah Brans, Lorena Barbosa, Debora Dos Santos, and Kyra Gardner)
MOSCOW, Idaho – The nets in ICCU Arena have been cut down for the first time, as the Idaho Vandals Women's Basketball team beat Northern Colorado by a score of 55-41. The victory clinched a share of the Big Sky Conference regular season championship and clinched the No. 1 seed in next week's Big Sky Conference tournament. 

Saturday's contest, held in front of over 2,300 of the Vandal Family, was a rock fight from the start and played out the complete opposite of nearly all Idaho victories this season. The Vandals got off to a slow start and fell behind the Bears early on, and Northern Colorado got out to an early 6-2 lead. Idaho immediately went on an 8-2 run that was capped by a Kyra Gardner layup to take a 10-8 advantage, but the Vandals closed the quarter slowly, as the Bears snatched the lead and finished the quarter leading by four. 

The most gritty, toughest defensive quarter of Idaho's season ensued. Head Coach Arthur Moreira's squad clamped up the Bear attack, holding them to just five points in the second quarter, and held the Bears scoreless over the last 5:09 of the half. Hope Hassmann scored four of her team-high 12 points in the second to lead the charge for Idaho, and the Vandals closed the half in a 22-22 deadlock. 

Idaho scored first as the teams came out of the locker room, as Ana Pinheiro dashed to the paint and put it up for two to break the tie. Northern Colorado went up by four points 31-27 with 2:32 left in the quarter, but Lorena Barbosa scored four points to anchor an 8-0 Idaho run to close out the third with Idaho taking a four-point edge to the fourth, and the mighty Vandals wouldn't be slowed down from there. 

Over the first three and a half minutes of the fourth, Idaho went on a 7-0 run that gave the Vandals the separation they needed, going up 42-31. Following a Northern Colorado three to break that run, Idaho clapped back instantly, responding with another 8-0 run to put a final nail in the coffin of any Northern Colorado hopes. 

With less than a minute left in the game and the Vandals up by a dozen, Gardner laid the ball in and the Vandal Family could sense the championship was nigh. One section of the crowd screamed, "IDAHO", and the opposite end responded with "VANDALS", and the celebration was on in ICCU Arena. The final horn sounded, the Vandal bench emptied onto the court, black and gold confetti rained down from the rafters, and the Vandals reclaimed their throne as the top team in the Big Sky Conference. 

Idaho wins its 14th game in a row, its 16th conference game to tie a program record, and clinches to the No. 1 seed in next weeks Big Sky tournament, and the 2025-26 Idaho Vandals record history in a banner year, once again bringing home a conference championship trophy. 

UP NEXT: Idaho closes its regular season on Monday, Mar. 2 as it hosts regional rival Eastern Washington. The game tips off at 6 p.m. in ICCU Arena. 

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

SOCIAL MEDIA: Stay up to date with everything happening with the Vandals by following them on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube.
 
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