UW Women’s Basketball | Huskies handle Vandals
After her team defeated Idaho 73-57 Friday afternoon in front of 2,063 at Edmundson Pavilion, Washington women’s basketball coach Tia Jackson, one day beyond the holiday, was able to prolong a mood of thanksgiving.
She was grateful to have a home game after playing five straight on the road. It was nice, she said, to see her sometimes slow-starting team break away quickly, taking a 20-8 lead in the first eight minutes and expanding it to 42-23 by halftime.
Nice to get a win despite having only nine healthy players in uniform. Nice to see her team reclaim the momentum of a game in which a 23-point second-half lead dwindled to 12 with less than seven minutes to play.
Nice to improve to 2-4 and advance to Sunday’s 2 p.m. championship game of the Husky Classic, even if it was against a winless (0-4) Idaho team that starts three freshmen.
All in all, said Jackson, whose team will face Arkansas State (4-1) Sunday, it was a great effort.
Four UW players scored in double figures, led by 18 points apiece from freshmen Katelan Redmon and Kali Bennett. Sophomore guard Sami Whitcomb was on fire early, hitting her first four shots before finishing with 16 points. Heidi McNeill added 10.
What’s not so great is the Huskies’ health. Three interior players watched the game in street clothes.
Freshman center Jess McCormack, a 6-foot-5 member of the New Zealand national team, and 6-3 freshman forward Mackenzie Argens were injured in practice Tuesday. McCormack suffered a high ankle sprain and Argens had what Jackson called a low knee tweak.
Meanwhile, 6-2 senior forward Andrea Plouffe, the No. 2 scorer on last year’s team, is not likely to play until late December because of Achilles tendinitis in her right leg.
“One through 13 is hurt,” said Jackson, who is redshirting senior guard Dominique Banks this season due to her sore legs after two leg surgeries in 2006. “Every time I turn around, another body’s going down.”
Jackson said she planned to confer with a team doctor Friday night about the severity of the injuries to McCormack and Argens “so we can start planning accordingly.”
Arkansas State defeated Weber State (1-3) in Friday’s early game, 57-44. Angie Criner led Arkansas State with 19 points. Weber State and Idaho play at noon Sunday.
IDAHO (0-4)minfgm-aftm-aor-tapfptsKoppen 170-61-20-2021Kloke 191-120-01-4143Madison 203-50-23-3046Olorunnife 306-110-14-60212Curtis 382-72-20-1337Otero 151-10-00-1203Bakondy 10-00-00-1000Doran 11-10-00-0003Wells 255-110-00-11310Simon-West 40-20-00-1000Riedel 160-00-00-5030Schlotthauer 144-62-31-3011220023-625-1010-2972257Percentages: FG .371, FT .500. Three-point goals: 6-19, (Koppen 0-4, Kloke 1-4, Curtis 1-3, Otero 1-1, Doran 1-1, Wells 0-1, Simon-West 0-1, Schlotthauer 2-4). Team rebounds: 1. Blocked shots: 2, (Riedel 2). Turnovers: 17, (Madison 5, Olorunnife 3, Curtis 4, Otero, Riedel 2, Schlotthauer 2). Steals: 6, (Kloke, Olorunnife, Curtis 2, Wells 2). Technical fouls: None.
WASHINGTON (2-4)
min
fgm-a
ftm-a
or-t
a
pf
pts
McLellan
11
1-1
0-0
0-0
1
4
2
McNeill
35
4-8
2-5
1-7
0
0
10
Redmon
30
6-10
3-3
1-7
1
18
Florence
27
0-2
0-0
4-9
1
0
0
Whitcomb
6-11
2-3
2-3
2
4
16
Bennett
26
5-7
8-8
5-11
2
4
18
Morton
8
0-2
0-1
0-0
0
1
0
Augustavo
21
1-11
3-4
0-2
2
0
5
Mosiman
18
1-2
2-2
1-2
4
1
4
200
24-54
20-26
15-46
14
15
73
Percentages: FG .444, FT .769. Three-point goals: 5-17, (McNeill 0-1, Redmon 3-3, Whitcomb 2-4, Morton 0-1, Augustavo 0-8). Team rebounds: 5. Blocked shots: 2, (McNeill, Augustavo). Turnovers: 21, (McLellan 3, McNeill 4, Redmon, Florence, Whitcomb 3, Bennett 4, Morton, Augustavo 2, Mosiman 2). Steals: 6, (McLellan, Redmon, Florence 2, Augustavo, Mosiman). Technical foul: McLellan.
23
34
-
57
Washington
42
31
-
73
Attendance: 2,063. Officials: Gator Parrish, Debbie Adams, Mark Munoz.