FINAL SCORE: Idaho 73, Montana State 70 (OT)
RECORDS: Idaho (18-5, 9-1), Montana State (16-6, 9-2)  
IDAHO LEADERS: Kyra Gardner (18 points), Debora Dos Santos (17 rebounds), Hassmann (6 assists) 
PRESS CONFERENCE
 
NOTABLES:  

• This was the second-largest crowd of the season with 1,773 in attendance
• Debora Dos Santos with her fourth double-double of the season
• This was the sixth game this season Gardner has led the team in scoring
• This was Idaho's first overtime game this season
• Hassmann is now at 979 career points
• Idaho has now won seven games in a row, and 10 of its last 11
• The Vandals move to 9-1 at ICCU this season

MOSCOW, Idaho – The mighty Idaho Vandals Women's Basketball (18-5, 9-1) team recorded a massive, season-altering 73-70 win over the Montana State Bobcats (16-6, 9-2), claiming first place in the Big Sky Conference in front of a massive ICCU Arena Crowd on Thursday night. 

The Vandals got off to a great start in front of an electric crowd of 1,773, going on a 9-0 run to make the score 14-7 early on. The Idaho defense stifled MSU, holding them to a stretch of over five minutes without a basket and limiting the 'Cats to shoot 5-18 from the floor and 1-10 from outside. Idaho had a 16-11 advantage at the end of one. 

It was more lockdown defense from the Vandals in the second quarter, as they held Taylee Chirrick, last week's national player of the week, to just three points at the half, thanks to a defensive masterpiece from do-it-all win Ana Pinheiro, and the Bobcats were shooting 12-44 from the field and 3-20 from beyond the arc at the break. 

Kyra Gardner carried the Vandals at the beginning of the third, scoring the Vandals first nine points of the quarter, and 12 of her overall 18. By the end of the third, Gardner was 5-7 from the floor and 4-4 from three-point range, and Idaho took a slim two-point lead to the final stanza.

Heading to the fourth, the result still up for grabs in an electric atmosphere. Montana State took the lead at 51-50, but around the 6:20 mark in the fourth, Ella Uriarte banged home a massive three-pointer to regain the Idaho edge, and the Vandals had a 57-54 edge at the final media timeout. Down the stretch, Debora Dos Santos connected on a shot to give Idaho a 61-59 lead, but the 'Cats tied the game with 24 seconds remaining. The Vandals had final possession and had a pair of chances to win it in regulation, but the game carried into overtime – Idaho's first such game of the year. 

MSU scored the first five points of the OT period, jumping out to a 66-61 lead. Pinheiro, who had been vital defensively for the Vandals, fouled out early in the overtime period, putting Idaho in what seemed like a big hole. A Dos Santos and one, that would be converted at the free throw line, right around the two-minute mark, got the Vandals back into the game. Trailing by two, Hope Hassmann was fouled and put at the free-throw line, sinking both attempts to tie the contest at 1:26. On Idaho's next possession, Ana Beatriz Passos Alves da Silva had what might have been the play of the game, getting a hoop plus the harm and making the free throw, giving the Vandals control with a minute left. In the waning moments of the game, Hassmann connected on two more from the charity stripe with nine seconds left on the clock to make it a two-possession game at 71-67, and MSU couldn't catch up from there. 

Idaho won the biggest game of the season 73-70, and now controls its own destiny as it sits alone atop the Big Sky standings. 

UP NEXT: The Vandals are home on Saturday, Feb. 7, where they will host the Montana Lady Grizzlies. That game tips off at 2 p.m. 

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

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