Women’s basketball roundup: Taylor Pierce, Mikayla Ferenz lead Vandals at NAU

Senior guards Taylor Pierce and Mikayla Ferenz scored 21 points apiece as Idaho defeated Northern Arizona 86-69 Thursday night in a Big Sky Conference contest in Flagstaff, Arizona.

Janie King scored 12 points, Isabell Hadden added 10 and Natalie Klinker contributed nine points and 11 rebounds as the Vandals (10-8, 7-2) shot 50 percent from the field in the first half in racing to a 50-33 halftime lead and breezed to victory.

Kaleigh Paplow’s 14 points, Khiarica Rasheed’s 13 and Peyton Carroll’s 12 led NAU (6-13, 2-8).

Idaho plays at Southern Utah on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Southern Utah 73, Eastern Washington 63: A career-high 22-point night from Grace Kirscher, a freshman guard from Sandpoint – including 6 of 6 from 3-point range – wasn’t enough as the Eagles (4-14, 3-6 Big Sky) came up short against the Thunderbirds (6-13, 3-7) in Cedar City, Utah.

“Grace had a heck of a game offensively,” said Eastern coach Wendy Schuller, whose team shot under 40 percent from the field and turned the ball over 14 times to the Thunderbirds’ seven. “Otherwise, it was a rough night for us on that end. We need to regroup quickly and find more efficient ways we can score.”

Senior guard Violet Kapri Morrow scored 12 points, her 19th straight game in double figures dating back to last season, and freshman center Bella Cravens had a career-high 11 points, with seven rebounds, for the Eagles, who visit Northern Arizona on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Rebecca Cardenas and Ashley Larsen scored 17 apiece and Harley Hansen added 13 for the T-birds.