RENO — Brooke Reilly had to wait a full year to make her debut in the Big Sky Conference Tournament. A year after watching her teammates cut down the nets at the Reno Events Center here, Reilly’s opening round performance helped Idaho solidify itself as a threat to repeat as tournament champions.
The 6-foot-1 junior started 27 games two seasons ago but the Vandals missed the league tournament in their first season back in the Big Sky. Last season, Reilly missed the full year with an injury. Monday in the fifth-seeded Vandals’ first round tournament game against upstart Southern Utah, Reilly made a difference on both ends of the court as Idaho started fast and pulled away late to avoid an upset.
Reilly hit seven of her nine field goal attempts, including all four from beyond the 3-point arc to finish with 18 points. The forward also grabbed 10 rebounds and played stellar defense on Southern Utah star Jessica Richardson after halftime, holding the SUU senior to four points after a 20-point first half. Reilly’s standout debut helped Idaho post an 81-68 victory in the second game of the tournament’s first session Monday.
Idaho forward Brooke Reilly (4)
“Watching last year was definitely tough but it was cool to see them win it and it made me want to give it my all to be a part of this this year,” Reilly said.
“Honestly, it was just like any other game but more important being in the Big Sky Tournament. We know we are going to get everybody’s best game.”
The win moves Idaho into a quarterfinal matchup against rival Eastern Washington. The defending tournament champions and the fourth-seeded Eagles split during the regular season, losing 67-57 in Cheney in the first Big Sky game for both teams before earning a 78-51 win in Moscow three weeks ago.
“Our confidence level is extremely high and it has been,” Idaho head coach Jon Newelee said. “We’ve been in this environment before the last few years whether it’s the WAC or the Big Sky. We are a tournament tested team. It showed tonight.”
The Vandals have advanced to three of the last four NCAA Tournaments. Newlee, who had great success in the Big Sky before at Idaho State, led Idaho to back-to-back WAC conference tournament championships in Las Vegas before UI rejoined the league it initially left in 1996.
“Love them, absolutely love them,” Newlee said about neutral site tournaments. “Loved them in the WAC, love them here.”
Idaho closed out the regular season with its seven wins in 10 games with a 76-61 victory over the last place Thunderbirds in Moscow last Friday. The first half of the first quarter, Idaho looked comfortable, confident and right at home in Reno. The Vandals drilled six of their first eight shots, including four 3-pointers. Reilly hit Idaho’s first triple and added her second of the first quarter to push the early lead to 18-7.
Idaho guard Mikayla Ferenz (21)
“I thought our start was great. We didn’t have any nerves,” Newlee said.
From there, Richardson and spark plug true freshman Rebecca Cardenas took over, leading Southern Utah on a torrid comeback. Richardson drilled 7-of-11 shots and 5-of-7 free throws to score 20 points in the first 20 minutes. Cardenas, a 5-foot-2 rookie from El Paso, scored eight points, grabbed four rebounds, dished out four assists and ripped two steals as SUU went into halftime down just 37-36.
Southern Utah led for the first eight minutes of the second half until sophomore Mikayla Ferenz’s only 3-pointer gave UI a 53-51 lead with 2:11 left in the third. Ferenz, who finished with a game-high 25 points despite, converted a layup and Taylor Pierce hit her third 3-pointer to cap an 8-0 Idaho run to give the Vandals a lead they would not surrender.
Richardson finished her career with a 24-point outing despite playing on a hurt ankle for most of her senior season. She helped Southern Utah make two more shots (28) than Idaho but lamented that the Thunderbirds traded twos for threes. SUU hit just one shot from deep.
Newlee credited Reilly for slowing down Richardson after intermission.
“Brooke and I had a conversation at halftime and I asked who was going to get her and Brooke was ready for that challenge,” Newlee said. “She knew she had to get her. Brooke is long, very athletic. She took it upon herself.”
SUU guard Rachel Cardenas (2) dives for a loose ball withIdaho guard Karlee Wilson (10)
Cardenas and Karlee Wilson, the Big Sky co-Defensive Player of the Year and herself a 5-foot-4 dynamo, engaged in a spirited battle for the duration of the contest. Cardenas finished with 14 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, six steals and a block in 39 minutes. But Wilson, a senior, owned the fourth quarter as Idaho won the final frame by 10 points.
Wilson’s second steal led to a layup as Idaho pushed its lead to 62-53 on the first possession of the final 10 minutes. Wilson’s 3-pointer with 2:43 left gave Idaho a 77-66 lead and he free throws with 1:44 left kept the lead at 11, 79-68. Wilson scored eight of her 18 points in the fourth quarter while chipping in six assists and five rebounds to offset seven turnovers in a 40-minute effort.
“I definitely thought we battled hard,” Wilson said. “We were going back and forth for a while. Their pressure rattled us a little bit, especially me at some points. But I think our other guards stepped up really well.
“(Cardenas) is a really good player. I give all props to her. She is really good. But I’d say experience helped me a little bit. I’ve been in these environments before, especially last year.”
Idaho’s hot shooting came back around after halftime. The Vandals shot 63.6 percent in the final frame and 61 percent after halftime overall. Idaho hit 12-of-26 3-pointers, using its weaving screen actions to get open looks for Reilly, Pierce and Ferenz while junior post Geraldine McKorkell battled foul trouble.
Idaho forward Brooke Reilly (4)
“It wasn’t their defense that beat us tonight, it was their offense,” SUU head coach Chris Boettcher said. “That’s the thing about Idaho. When they get a couple of kids who are shooting the ball, it stretches you out and we have to get better defensively to combat with that. They get good action, good movement that forces you to help.”
Southern Utah battled throughout the season but came up with only seven wins, including two in the Big Sky, to shot for it. The Thunderbirds lost by single digits at Portland State, to Eastern Washington at home, at North Dakota, to Weber State at home, in double overtime to Idaho State at home and to league champion Montana State by three in Bozeman. But league wins over Portland State and at Eastern Washington gave SUU the No. 12 seed and a draw against the reigning tournament champions.
Now Idaho’s attention turns to Eastern Washington, who earned the No. 4 seed by winning four of six down the stretch. Reilly and the Vandals remain confident that, despite playing on the tournament’s first day, a trip to the Big Dance is still very much an attainable goal.
“We definitely can make a run. I think we are going to win it,” Reilly said.
Photos by Brooks Nuanez. All Rights Reserved.
