Vandals Humble Cougars Woolf Contributes 14 Points As Idaho Finally Trims WSU

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

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

Woolf, who played 32 seconds against the Cougars last year before tearing her anterior cruciate ligament, burned WSU for 14 points while playing the entire 40 minutes.

She hit 5 of 10 shots, including 3 of 4 from 3-point range, and committed just two turnovers.

“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 game this fall and improved to 3-5 on the season. Washington State dropped to 4-2.

Idaho led Washington State by as many as 14 points early in the second half. The Cougars crept back by going on a 19-7 run that cut the Vandals’ lead to two points, at 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 scored seven points down the stretch and contributed a key assist to Kelli Johnson for a lay-in with 2:19 left as Idaho led 51-42.

Nieman finished with 13 points, as well as four steals and four assists.

Yvonne Kunze led WSU with 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting. The rest of the Cougars shot 12 of 43.

, DataTimes