The Idaho women’s basketball team received its third Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) bid following a 20-11 campaign for the 2018-2019 season.
The Vandals came into the Big Sky Tournament as the top seed after posting a 16-4 conference record and also taking home the Big Sky Conference regular season title for the third time in Vandal women’s basketball history.
After an impressive 90-73 victory over the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks in the quarterfinal game, Idaho moved on to face a stout Portland State team for the semi-final game.
Idaho struggled shooting from the floor in the semi-final matchup with the Vikings and the prolific Splash Sisters shot a combined 6-29 in the game. A tough loss to swallow considering the performances from Ferenz and Pierce, the game was one of their least impressive showings this season and occurring at one of the worst times with it being the Big Sky tournament.
The women were projected to win the Big Sky and earn an NCAA tournament bid by ESPN and many critics alike, making the loss even tougher for fans and the team to swallow.
Braedon Cain
On Monday, the Vandal women patiently waited to see who they would face in the WNIT after receiving news that they would be invited to participate in the prestigious post-season tournament. The announcement came late that same night, finding out that they will face Loyola Marymount University out of Los Angeles for the first round.
The Vandals also received a bid to the WNIT last year, losing to UC Davis in the first round 82-62. In their first ever WNIT appearance back in the 1986 season, Idaho swept their opponents to take home the WNIT championship.
The big difference between last year’s tournament matchup and this years is the opponents’ overall talent and season record. Last year’s UC Davis team had a record of 28-7 along with a 14-2 conference record – much more impressive than LMU’s 18-14 conference record this year.
This is a favorable matchup this year for Idaho as the Lions give up 65 points per game to their opponents as well as allowing 40 percent shooting from their opponents. But, Loyola Marymount seems to excel at restricting teams from converting shots from behind the arc, only allowing their opponents to shoot 29 percent from the three-point line.
This could pose a problem for the Vandals, but with two of the best shooters in the nation in senior guards Mikayla Ferenz and Taylor Pierce, the Lions might have trouble keeping tabs on the Splash Sisters. Head coach Jon Newlee’s offensive expertise might also give Loyola Marymount problems on the defensive end.
Another factor that could play into the women’s performance Thursday is the fact that they are not coming off of a Big Sky Championship loss like they were last season. Getting that close to reaching the NCAA tournament can leave a bitter taste in the mouth potentially taking away motivation to win a secondary postseason invite like the WNIT.
Also, going out on a high note for Ferenz and Pierce in what could be their last games of their careers as Vandals will most likely play into how the Vandals perform against the Lions on Thursday.
The WNIT games will be televised by the CBS Sports Network. The Final Four games will be played on April 5, and the championship game April 7.
Braedon Cain can be reached at [email protected]