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Both Idaho basketball teams advance to Big Sky Tournament semifinals

Idaho guard Ella Uriarte (5) with the ball in front of Weber State guard Makenna Shaffer-Lauer (13) in the 2nd round game in the Big Sky Women’s Basketball tournament at the ICCU Arena in Boise Idaho. (Steve Conner/For The Spokesman-Review)
Idaho guard Ella Uriarte (5) with the ball in front of Weber State guard Makenna Shaffer-Lauer (13) in the 2nd round game in the Big Sky Women’s Basketball tournament at the ICCU Arena in Boise Idaho. (Steve Conner/For The Spokesman-Review)
From staff reports

BOISE – Idaho guard Biko Johnson’s stepback 3-pointer with just over a minute left highlighted a game-changing run for the Vandals, who held on for one of their biggest wins in recent memory.

The seventh-seeded Vandals upset No. 2 seed Montana State 78-74 on Saturday night in the Big Sky Conference Tournament at Idaho Central Arena.

Idaho (19-14) advances to a semifinal-round game at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday against the winner of Monday’s game between third-seeded Eastern Washington and No. 6 seed Weber State.

Johnson scored a team-high 19 points for Idaho, none more important than his 3 at the 1:11 mark. It was a part of a 12-5 run down the stretch that put the Vandals up by seven within the final minute, allowing them to outlast the Bobcats (18-14). Johnson also hit three game-sealing free throws in the final 30 seconds.

Guard Isaiah Brickner added 15 points for Idaho and forward Jackson Rasmussen, a Boise-area native, logged 11 points. The Vandals shot a scorching 56.4% from the field – their second best percentage in a game this season – to offset a 4-for-16 showing from 3-point range.

MSU shot 44.6% from the floor and 11 of 24 (45.8%) on 3s. Guard Jeremiah Davis had 22 points on 9 of 10 shooting for the Bobcats.

Neither team led by more than eight points in what was an evenly matched game that included 11 lead changes. The Bobcats led 40-36 at the half.

Women

Idaho 66, Weber State 52: For the top-seeded Idaho Vandals, the Big Sky Conference Tournament opener went as expected, for the most part.

The Vandals built a big lead in the third quarter and, aside from a drought in the fourth quarter, outclassed ninth-seeded Weber State, rolling to a win at Idaho Central Arena in the second round of the tournament.

Idaho (27-5), which has now won a program record 16 straight games, separated with an 18-4 run over about eight minutes in the second period, stretching its lead to as many as 24 points late in the third. The Wildcats (11-22) gave Idaho some trouble late, cutting the lead to 10 points with about four minutes left, but the Vandals responded with a 5-0 spurt to close the door.

Senior Idaho guard Kyra Gardner flirted with a triple-double, recording 14 points, eight steals and eight rebounds. Guard Ana Pinheiro had 12 points and 11 rebounds, and guard Hope Hassmann tallied 14 points, six assists and five rebounds. Post Debora dos Santos added 12 points and nine rebounds.

The Vandals shot 35.4% from the field and 7 of 24 (29.2%) from 3-point range. They outrebounded the Wildcats 50-31. Weber State shot 31% from the floor and 10 of 25 (40%) on 3s.

Idaho advances to the semifinal round for the first time since the 2021-22 season. The Vandals will next play at 11 a.m. Tuesday against the winner of Monday’s game between fourth-seeded Idaho State and No. 5 seed Sacramento State.