Basically, Idaho Outplays Irvine Vandals Make Their Foul Shots, Take Dominant Role On Boards

To put it in basic terms, it came down to the University of Idaho doing the fundamentals better.

When the key to winning hinged on rebounding and scoring free throws, the Vandals women’s basketball team did all the right things, resulting in a 71-61 victory over Big West Conference rival UC Irvine Sunday afternoon before 861 spectators in Memorial Gym.

Idaho led by as much as 59-45 with 8 minutes, 18 seconds remaining, but the Anteaters hung around and came as close as 65-61. But on two different occasions, UI’s Alli Nieman pulled down rebounds when the Anteaters missed shots that would have cut the lead to two points with less than 2:30 on the clock.

Nieman, carrying a 15.6 points-per-game average, finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds. She fouled out with 49 seconds to play and the Vandals clinging to a four-point lead, but UCI’s Leticia Oseguera, a 66 percent free-throw shooter, missed both shots off Nieman’s fifth foul.

UCI then sent Idaho to the line six times in the final 36 seconds, and Melisa McDonald, Susan Woolf, and Kelli Johnson combined for a perfect 6 for 6.

“Our goal was own the boards … and have less than five turnovers,” said Idaho coach Julie Holt, whose team has won three of its last four games to improve to 7-10 and 3-1 in conference.

The Vandals had the ball stolen seven times, which was close enough to UI’s goal of five to satisfy Holt. However, team rebounding should have had her feeling downright giddy.

Idaho outrebounded the Anteaters 42-31. UCI had no offensive rebounds in the first half and only six overall. In a loss to Boise State on Friday, UCI had 28 offensive rebounds.

The Anteaters entered the weekend shooting 51 percent from the free-throw line against 71 percent for conference opponents. Sunday, UCI was a mere 5 of 10 from the line compared to Idaho’s 17 of 23.

Nieman made 6 of 7 for the Vandals and sophomore point guard Susan Woolf dropped in 5 of 6. Woolf led Idaho with 19 points. “We tell them, ‘Keep yourself in it, so you have a chance to win it in the end,”’ said Mark Adams, Irvine’s first-year coach. “We did do that, but we didn’t do the things that it took to win.”

The Anteaters (7-8, 2-2) stayed close mostly because of the solid second-half play of Megan Stafford. The sophomore guard scored 15 of her team’s 31 second-half points, hitting from all over before fouling out in the final seconds.

Stafford finished with 21 points. Oseguera followed with 16 points and 13 rebounds.

Idaho went on a 10-0 run that made 49-38 with 11:39 left in the game. However, UCI brought the gap back to four points with a 16-6 spurt.

“We just have to learn how to maintain our concentration when we’re up,” Holt said.

Idaho 71, UC Irvine 61

UC Irvine (7-8, 2-2) - Roberson 5-12 0-0 10, Oseguera 6-11 4-8 16, Mackey 2-8 0-0 4, Hatcher 0-2 1-2 1, Stafford 10-18 0-0 21, Payton 3-5 0-0 7, Duperron 1-1 0-0 2, Cappel 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 27-57 5-10 61.

Idaho (7-10, 3-1) - Gussett 0-4 0-1 0, Nieman 6-15 6-7 18, Stone 3-9 1-2 7, Johnson 4-10 2-2 12, Woolf 5-10 5-6 19, Newman 3-8 1-3 7, McDaniel 2-3 2-2 6, Rico 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 24-60 17-23 71.

Halftime - Idaho 32, UC Irvine 29. 3-point goals - UC Irvine 2-4 (Stafford 1-1, Payton 1-2, Roberson 0-1), Idaho 6-15 (Woolf 4-6, Johnson 2-6, Nieman 0-3). Fouled out - Stafford, Nieman. Rebounds - UC Irvine 31 (Oseguera 13), Idaho 42 (Nieman 12). Assists - UC Irvine 10 (Stafford 4), Idaho 14 (Gussett 5). Total fouls - UC Irvine 22, Idaho 12. A - 861.

, DataTimes