Area women’s basketball: Beyonce Bea helps Idaho top Montana State in double overtime

Beyonce Bea scored 26 points, and Natalie Klinker scored all five of her points in the second overtime as Idaho women’s basketball team handed Montana State its first Big Sky loss of the season with a 69-68 victory Thursday in Bozeman.

Bea, a freshman forward from Washougal, Washington, also grabbed eight rebounds for the Vandals (8-5, 3-1 Big Sky). Gina Marxen was the only other Idaho player in double figures with 14 points.

Trailing 54-51 with 14 seconds remaining in regulation, Bea hit one of her two 3-pointers to send the game to OT. Marxen added a pair of 3s in the first overtime to force a second OT.

“What a game. There was a big shot after big shot for both teams, as well as big stops,” Idaho coach Jon Newlee said in a team release.

Madeline Smith paced the Bobcats (8-6, 4-1) with 15 points.

The Vandals host Eastern Washington on Jan. 16 at 5:30 p.m. in the Cowan Spectrum in Moscow.

Montana 92, Eastern Washington 54: Taylor Goligoski scored 21 points off the bench as the Grizzlies (9-5, 4-1) downed the Eagles (2-11, 1-3) in Missoula.

Gabi Harrington and Jamie Pickens added 14 points apiece for Montana, which has won seven straight against EWU.

Jenna Dick paced Eastern with 18 points, while Grace Kirscher added 15. The Eagles trailed by two points after the 10 minutes, but Montana outscored EWU 53-27 over the next two quarters.

Eastern shot 36.4% from the floor and 45.5% from 3-point range, but committed 17 turnovers. Montana shot 49.2% overall and 54.5% from deep. The Griz also outrebounded EWU 37-28.