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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Vandals face tall order in Baylor, even without Brittney Griner

Sean Kramer Correspondent

WACO, Texas – As just a spry freshman in 2013, Ali Forde’s idea of fun would have been taking on the most dynamic post player in college basketball at the time.

Knowing they were surely a No. 16 seed as WAC tournament champions then, getting dunked on by Baylor’s Brittney Griner seemed like the go-to destination.

“I did, I thought that would be pretty cool,” Forde said.

That didn’t materialize, as Idaho played Connecticut instead, but Forde will receive her wish of a nearly insurmountable post challenge when Idaho tips against Baylor at 2 p.m. Friday in the first round of the NCAA women’s tournament.

Idaho will be spared from having to face a prodigious WNBA talent such as Griner, but the Bears have a roster full of giants who make Forde and her fellow posts look tiny in comparison.

“We’re going to have to battle inside and battle on the glass, more than anything,” Idaho coach Jon Newlee said. “I think it’s a rebounding deal and we’re really going to have to have five guys on the glass to do it. Certainly, we would like to get out and run.”

Baylor gave Idaho a taste last season in a 88-70 regular-season loss in Waco, which isn’t that good of an indication of the challenge that awaits. Baylor decided to get taller, adding freshmen standing 6-foot-4 and 6-7.

“I thought it was fun,” Forde said. “It was a rough game. They’re a physical team. We’re going to have to be physical and shoot lights out.”

The Vandals have that capability. Idaho hit 35 of 74 on 3-pointers during the Big Sky tournament in Reno, Nevada, including 14 during the championship win over Idaho State.

The Bears will try to run Idaho out of the building with transition, but the Vandals would love to match that pace after logging 10 80-plus-point games under their belt.

“We can’t do what we’re not comfortable doing,” Newlee said. “We like to push the ball and run, so we’re just going to attack like we have everybody this year. We’re going to run our offense and try to play tough defense and defend all their All-Americans.”

Baylor coach Kim Mulkey is aware of Idaho freshman Mikayla Ferenz winning the Big Sky tournament MVP award, and that the Vandals will shoot with any opening.

“I’m not going to tell you it’s going to be easy. It’s going to be extremely difficult. But we’ve got to get after it,” Mulkey said. “Jon is a great coach and he’s done really well three of the last four years he’s been in the tournament.

“They made more 3s than I’ll probably ever let my team shoot in the time I’m at Baylor, because we’re going to always have post players.”

Unlike on the men’s side, a No. 1 women’s seed has been defeated. Harvard topped Stanford to open the 1998 tournament.

Being a No. 16 seed is bulletin-board material for the Vandals, who felt deserving of nothing lower than a 15.

“No, they are better than a 16 seed,” Mulkey said. “…But Jon Newlee is exactly right. We played his team last year, and they are good.”