MISSOULA, Mont.—Idaho women's basketball continued to roll, winning its ninth consecutive game on Saturday. The Vandals bested Montana 67-56 in front of 3,353 loyal Griz fans inside Dahlberg Arena.
Idaho's big three of Mikayla Ferenz, Taylor Pierce and Geraldine McCorkell provided the offensive spark for the Vandals. They combined for all but four of Idaho's points. Ferenz led the pack with 24 points. McCorkell and Pierce added 20 and 19, respectively.
Pierce and Ferenz continued to set milestones. Pierce hit five 3's in the first half to set a new Big Sky record for single-season 3's with 99. Ferenz then passed Pierce, hitting six on the afternoon to reach 100 on the season. The previous mark was 95 set by Weber State's Kailie Quinn in 2016.
How it Happened
Idaho (15-10, 11-3) opened the game with a 10-0 run and frustrated the Montana shooters on defense. Montana was held off the scoreboard for the first 6:40, shooting 0-for-7 from the field. The Vandals built the lead up to 15 in the quarter, holding Montana to five total points in the period.
The Silver and Gold kept on the gas in the second, shooting 58.3 percent (7-12) in the quarter. The Vandal lead twice hit 19 in the second. Pierce went 4-for-5 from the floor and hit three of Idaho's five triples in the quarter. Ferenz closed the half with a 3 at the buzzer, putting Idaho up 41-22 at the break.
Montana (12-14, 8-7) clawed its way back into the game in the second half. The Lady Griz outscored Idaho 16-6 in the third quarter, narrowing the gap to nine. McCorkell was the lone Vandal to get to the basket, scoring all six of Idaho's third-quarter points.
Idaho's offensive struggles continued in the fourth, allowing Montana get within four points, 52-48, with just over five minutes remaining. The Vandals looked to their top-scorer in the clutch and she did not disappoint. Ferenz scored 15 points in the final quarter, including a pair of back-to-back 3's to put Idaho back up by 10, 58-48, with 4:19 to play.
