RENO, Nev. (March 11, 2016) – The Big Sky Conference's women's basketball tournament has become the collegiate equivalent of an Idaho state championship.
While in-state bragging rights are always valuable, Saturday’s Big Sky tournament championship game will feature two schools, Idaho and Idaho State, fighting for something even more valuable – an NCAA tournament berth.
The Vandals had to outlast a regional rival to get to the title game, beating Eastern Washington, 86-71, in the Big Sky semifinals Friday.
Idaho outscored the Eagles, 31-15, in the final period, and held Eastern Washington to 21.9 percent shooting (7-of-32) in the second half. The game was a tale of two halves, as Eastern held a 41-35 lead at halftime.
Whereas it was Eastern who had offensive success in the first half, Idaho inherited the shooting stroke in the second half, shooting 56 percent from the field (14-of-25). The Vandals also heated up behind the arc, making nine three-point shots in the second half.
Idaho finished with four scorers in double-figures, with Mikayla Ferenz finishing with 20 points and seven rebounds. Ferenz also had four three-pointers in the game, for the game high. Ali Forde scored 13 points, with 17 rebounds.
Delaney Hodgins led the Eagles with 22 points, making 11-of-12 free throws. Hayley Hodgins scored 19 points.
The Vandals and Bengals will tip at 12:05 p.m. at the Reno Events Center. The game will be available on WatchBigSky.com, with Steve Klauke and Krista Redpath on the call.