3-1 Odds Too Much For Vandals To Overcome Clinesmith, Gauchos Trio Get Better Of Former Aau Teammate Nieman

The University of Idaho had its big one. But UC Santa Barbara had its big three.

Guess which team was outwomaned Friday night at Memorial Gym in the Big West Conference basketball opener for both teams?

UCSB 96, Idaho 79.

The Gauchos’ big three’s numbers: sophomore guard Erin Buescher, 32 points, 13 rebounds; junior guard Stacy Clinesmith of Mead, 20 points; and junior forward Kristi Rohr, 16. Idaho’s big one: forward Alli Nieman, 34 points, 14 rebounds.

“We just need to execute for 40 minutes,” said Nieman, who erupted for 23 points in the second half. “I think we are at their level. We can play with them and we can beat them.”

Perhaps, but since joining the Big West Conference, the Vandals are 0-3 against the two-time defending conference champs and preseason AP Top 25 team. The latest loss dropped Idaho to 7-6, 0-1 in conference. Santa Barbara improved to 9-3, 1-0.

The Vandals were forced to play catch-up most of the night after Santa Barbara went on a 15-0 first-half run that gave the visitors a 17-10 lead at 13:32. The Gauchos led 44-36 at the half.

Idaho’s biggest first-half weakness came from the free-throw line where it converted just 9 of 17 before bringing it up to 18 of 28 in the game.

Idaho trailed by 10 to 12 points during much of the second half, but came as close as 68-62 when reserve center Julie Wynstra scored on a jump shot at 9:16. The Vandals found themselves down by nine points, 79-70, with 5:23 left in the game.

That’s when Clinesmith - whose Spokane entourage made up a large number of the 694 spectators - put on a show. In a span of 2 minutes, the 5-foot-5 point guard nailed 3 of 3 from 3-point range. Her third trey, with 2:51 left in the game, gave the Gauchos an 88-76 lead, and from there, they coasted. The final score was their largest lead in the game.

“It was getting a little close, so I figured I might as well put a couple in,” said Clinesmith, who scored three points in the first half and finished well ahead of her 11.6 scoring average.

The former Mead High School standout was 8 of 12 from the field and had seven assists, two turnovers and two steals. Buescher, last year’s conference player of the year as a freshman, was 9 of 17 from the field.

“I don’t think Clinesmith is about to lose here in front of her friends and family,” said UCSB’s 12th-year coach, Mark French. “We’re pretty talented offensively. That’s what won it for us.”

That’s not to take away anything from Nieman, whose 34 points was her second-best total since scoring 36 against Nevada her freshman year. The league’s top scorer (20.5 ppg) was 12 of 19 from the field and 10 of 14 from the line. She also set a school record for most free throws in a career. With 347, she has eight more than Mary Raese (1982-86).

“For anybody to stop Alli Nieman, you have to have a whole defense playing really well,” French said. “Nieman’s a really, really, really good player. She’s got great body control. We play a pretty tough schedule and we see some good players. She’s as good as anybody we’ve played this year.”

Added Clinesmith: “I’ve played with Alli a long time (AAU). It’s always good to see her. I wish I was playing with her instead of against her.”

UC Santa Barbara 96, Idaho 79

UC Santa Barbara (9-3) - Rohr 6-15 4-6 16, Buescher 9-17 13-16 32, Greathouse 1-2 2-2 5, Cooper 4-9 0-1 9, Clinesmith 8-12 1-1 20, Miller 0-0 0-0 0, Christensen 3-5 3-3 9, Frial 0-4 0-2 0, Rogers 1-1 0-0 2, Hansen 1-2 1-1 3. Totals 33-67 24-32 96.

Idaho (7-6) - LeBlanc 1-3 0-0 3, Woolf 4-10 1-2 11, Goss 0-2 1-3 1, Bartleson 1-2 0-0 2, Pemberton 2-4 4-4 8, Jackson 3-8 0-1 8, Bloom 0-0 0-0 0, Benad 0-3 0-2 0, Rico 0-1 2-2 2, Nieman 12-19 10-14 34, Stone 2-3 0-0 4, Wynstra 3-7 0-0 6. Totals 28-62 18-28 79.

Halftime - UCSB 44, Idaho 36. 3-point goals - UCSB 6-14 (Clinesmith 3-5, Buescher 1-2, Greathouse 1-2, Cooper 1-2, Frial 0-3), Idaho 5-15 (Jackson 2-4, Woolf 2-5, LeBlanc 1-2, Nieman 0-1, Benad 0-1, Pemberton 0-2). Fouled out - Bartleson. Rebounds - UCSB 45 (Buescher 13), Idaho 35 (Nieman 14). Assists - UCSB 16 (Clinesmith 7), Idaho 13 (Rico 6). Total fouls - UCSB 21, Idaho 23. Technicals - None. A - 694.

Whitworth 52, Pacific 38

Jamie Wakefield’s layin with 4:48 remaining put an end to a brief Boxers rally and sent the Pirates on their way to a victory.

Pacific, winless in four Northwest Conference games and down 20 points in the second half, crept to within seven with 5:20 left.

But when Pacific’s Kim Bass threw up an air ball, the Pirates got to work at their end. Star Olson’s shot from the baseline started an 8-0 Whitworth run that sealed the victory.

Pacific (1-9, 0-4) - Martin 0-0 0-0 0, Dunston 5-14 4-7 14, Barr 0-2 1-2 1, Fisher 0-0 1-2 1, Bass 3-8 2-2 10, Kelsay 1-8 0-1 3, Wilson 2-10 0-0 5, Johnson 0-0 0-1 0, Daniels 1-5 0-0 2, Vavra 0-1 0-0 0, Duensing 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 13-49 8-15 38.

Whitworth (7-4, 3-2) - Bandy 0-0 2-2 2, Stuenkel 2-4 1-1 5, Albertson 3-4 0-0 9, Walter 1-1 0-0 3, Dreewes 1-1 0-0 2, Wakefield 5-10 0-4 10, Turner 0-2 0-2 0, Werner 2-6 2-2 6, Slwooko 2-3 0-0 4, Olson 5-11 0-1 11. Totals 21-42 5-12 52.

Halftime - Whitworth 28, Pacific 16. 3-point goals - Pacific 4-11 (Bass 2-4, Kelsay 1-3, Wilson 1-3, Dunston 0-1), Whitworth 5-13 (Albertson 3-4, Walter 1-1, Olson 1-3, Werner 0-1, Stuenkel 0-2, Wakefield 0-2). Fouled out - None. Rebounds - Pacific 27 (Barr, Wilson 5), Whitworth 37 (Werner 7). Assists - Pacific 7 (Daniels 2), Whitworth 15 (Stuenkel 7). Total fouls - Pacific 12, Whitworth 16. Technicals - None. A - NA.

Loyola Marymount 64, Gonzaga 57

The Lions went on an 11-4 run the final 4 minutes of the game to snap a 15-game West Coast Conference losing streak with a victory over the visiting Bulldogs.

Poor free-throw shooting and a tough night on the boards did in Gonzaga.

The Bulldogs made just 8 of 21 foul shots and were outrebounded 55-37, including 19-8 on the offensive glass.

Loyola Marymount won its conference opener for the first time since 1993.

Gonzaga (4-9, 0-1) - Waltz 3-11 1-3 7, Carroll 2-5 1-2 5, Osberg 1-6 0-1 2, Bergman 1-1 0-0 2, McNairy 0-1 0-0 0, Jeffries 3-5 1-2 8, Malone 3-11 3-8 11, Deal 4-5 0-1 8, Tipps 5-13 2-4 12, Perno 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 23-60 8-21 57.

Loyola Marymount (5-8, 1-0) - Murphy 1-4 1-2 3, Hunter 2-8 6-8 10, Jarosz 2-5 1-2 5, Bernasconi 1-4 0-0 3, Britton 6-15 0-0 12, Reynolds 5-9 4-9 14, Shephard 1-5 2-4 4, Palmer 0-3 0-0 0, Gamez 4-6 3-4 11, Gravely 1-2 0-2 2. Totals 23-61 17-31 64.

Halftime - LM 37, Gonzaga 30. 3-point goals - Gonzaga 3-16 (Malone 2-9, Jeffries 1-2, Osberg 0-1, Carroll 0-1, Waltz 0-3), LM 1-10 (Bernasconi 1-2, Gamez 0-1, Reynolds 0-2, Shephard 0-2, Britton 0-3). Fouled out - Malone, Murphy. Rebounds - Gonzaga 37 (Deal, Tipps, Malone 6), LM 55 (Hunter 12). Assists - Gonzaga 12 (Waltz, Malone, Perno 3), LM 10 (Bernasconi 3). Total fouls - Gonzaga 24, LM 22. Technicals - None. A - 183.