Vandals Capture Battle Of Palouse Supremacy

University of Idaho point guard Susan Woolf was in the second grade the last time the Vandals defeated Washington State in women’s basketball.

Idaho snapped its nine-game losing streak to Washington State, a run that started in the 1986-87 season, winning 62-51 before 943 fans in Memorial Gym on Tuesday.

Woolf, who played 32 seconds against the Cougars last year before tearing her anterior cruciate ligament, burned Washington State for a team-high 14 points. This time she played the entire 40 minutes.

Woolf hit 5 of 10 shots, including 3 of 4 from three-point range, and committed just two turn overs.

“This is who’s the best in the Palouse, and right now we are,” fourth-year Idaho coach Julie Holt said. “We expected to win this game since we played them a year ago (a 78-68 Idaho loss).”

The Vandals won their second straight and improve to 3-5 on the season. Washington State drops to 4-2.

Idaho led Washington State by as many as 14 points early in the second half, but the Cougars crept back, going on a 19-7 run that cut the Vandals’ lead to 39-37 with 7:20 left in the game.

However, Alli Nieman and Jennifer Stone came through for Idaho. Stone scored eight points in a three-minute span, making a lay-in and hitting 6 of 6 from the line. Nieman had seven points down the stretch and also a key assist to a darting Kelli Johnson for a lay-in with 2:19 left as Idaho led 51-42.

Idaho’s aggressive pressure defense forced 23 Cougar turnovers, from which the Vandals scored 23 points. Washington State’s guards committed 11 turnovers. Meanwhile, Idaho turned the ball over a season-low 10 times.

Nieman finished with 13 points as well as four steals and four assists coming off the bench. Kathryn Gussett added eight points and a team-high nine rebounds for the Vandals.

Yvonne Kunze led the Cougars with 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting. The rest of Washington State’s players shot 12 of 43 from the field. Tricia Lamb was second on the Cougars with 10 points and six rebounds.

Idaho next plays Portland on Dec. 13 in Memorial Gym at 7 p.m.

Idaho 62, WSU 51

Washington State (4-2) - Dietel 3-12 1-2 7, Evans 0-0 0-0 0, Kunze 7-12 2-3 16, Lamb 4-12 0-0 10, Kerns 0-1 0-0 0, Harrod 0-0 0-0 0, Smith 3-7 0-0 9, Nyseth 1-1 0-0 1, Mcneely 0-2 1-2 1, Volkman 0-5 3-4 3, Rubio 1-3 1-2 3. Totals 19-55 8-13 51.

Idaho (3-5) - Newman 3-5 0-0 6, Gussett 2-6 4-7 8, Stone 1-8 6-6 8, Johnson 2-9 3-4 7, Woolf 5-10 1- 2 14, McDaniel 3-5 0-0 6, Purcell 0-1 0-0 0, Nieman 6-13 1-1 13. Totals 22-57 15-20 62.

Halftime score - Idaho 30, WSU 18. 3-point field goals - WSU 5-24 (Dietel 0-4, Lamb 2-8, Smith 3-6, McNeely 0-2, Volkman 0-4), Idaho 3-10 (Johnson 0-5, Woolf 3-4, Nieman 0-1). Rebounds - WSU 42 (Dietel 12), Idaho 32 (Gussett 9). Assists - WSU 11 (Kerns 3), Idaho 16 (Johnson 7). Total fouls - WSU 17, Idaho 12. Technicals - none. A - 943.

Washington 77, GU 67

If the Gonzaga women’s basketball team was using Washington to gauge its improvement, the Bulldogs are a satisfied squad this morning.

No, Gonzaga didn’t pull off the upset. It has never beaten the Huskies in 14 attempts. But it didn’t get blown out either, losing 77-67 in a non-conference game before 1,219 spectators at the Martin Centre Tuesday night.

In the past four meetings, the Huskies, ranked No. 19 in this week’s Associated Press poll, had beaten GU by an average of 25 points.

WASHINGTON (6-0) - Redd 11-24 11-11 33, Franza 2-6 1-2 5, Pelz 4-7 1-1 9, Hall 6-15 3-5 15, Hills 3-8 0-0 8, Teel 0-0 2-2 2, Duncan 0-1 0-2 0, Pimley 0-0 0-0 0, Lynch 1-6 3-4 5. Totals 27-67 21-27 77.

GONZAGA (3-3) - Ledgerwood 5-12 2-2 12, Andrews 0-2 3-4 3, Perno 6-10 0-0 12, Jeffries 2-4 0-0 4, Deal 3-10 1-3 7, Turner 0-4 0-0 0, Osberg 1-1 0-0 2, Carroll 0-0 0-0 0, Gere 6-8 1-2 15, McNairy 1-4 0-2 2, Tipps 3-5 1-2 7, Murdock 0-1 0-0 0, Waltz 0-0 3-4 3. Totals 27-61 11-19 67.

Halftime - Washington 41, Gonzaga 28. 3-point goals - Washington 2-14 (Hills 2-4, Duncan 0-1, Franza 0-4, Redd 0-5), Gonzaga 2-13 (Gere 2-4, Ledgerwood 0-2, Jeffries 0-2, Deal 0-2, Turner 0-3). Fouled out - Perno. Rebounds - Washington 42 (Hall 11), Gonzaga 41 (Perno 8). Assists - Washington 11 (Redd, Franza 3), Gonzaga 12 (Waltz 4). Total fouls - Washington 20, Gonzaga 27. Technicals - None. A - 1,219.

, DataTimes