The Idaho Vandals ended the 2023-2024 regular season on a high note, winning two of the last three games and squeezing into the sixth seed in the Big Sky tournament, where they will face third-seeded Montana Grizzlies for the third time this season. The Vandals and Grizzlies will tip-off from the Idaho Central Arena on Monday, March 11, at 1:30 p.m.
The matchup between the Griz and the Vandals will feature some of the league’s best players. With the Big Sky awards coming out, the Grizzlies have three Big Sky honors, and graduate forward Carmen Gfeller placed on the Big Sky Conference’s first team.
Fifth-year Montana guard Gina Marxen won top reserve, and junior forward Dani Bartsch rounded them out with an appearance on the Big Sky defensive team.
Idaho added two of their own, with junior forward Kennedy Johnson in her first season with the Vandals also landing on the Big Sky first team, and graduate guard Amalie Langer made the all-defensive team.
The Vandals, facing Montana for the third time, are looking to continue their momentum and maybe use some March magic to find success.
Head Coach Carrie Eighmey spoke about the upcoming tournament.
“You survive and advance, or you’re done,” she said. “So, I feel like winning the last three (games) kind of helped us gain a little bit of momentum and confidence. I think that’s why March is madness, and anything can happen.”
With Montana defeating the Vandals easily both times, as the Vandals look to turn the tide, Eighmey talked about the third matchup between the two teams.
“Both games were different. The first game we played them, they made 14 three-pointers on us here at our home court, which was the difference in the game,” she said. “The second time we played them, I felt like our first-shot defense was pretty good, but we gave up 17 offensive rebounds.”
“They were able to capitalize on a lot of those. Two different games, two different issues for us. It will take our team or any other team in the Big Sky a really good effort to beat Montana,” Eighmey said.
The Grizzlies, led by Gfeller and sophomore guard Mack Konig, are an explosive offense that looks to put the stout Idaho defense under pressure. And with Langer potentially out or not 100% healthy, it will take a team effort to advance to the next round of the tournament.
The Vandals will lean on Johnson, the experience of graduate guard Sarah Schmitt and their elite perimeter defense to help them advance and take down the Grizzlies for the first time this season.
The Vandals have a plethora of experienced players who could be playing their last minutes of college basketball. They will be playing their hardest not to let Monday be their last time in a Vandal uniform.
“We have several players on our team who are at the end of their careers,” Eighmey said. “So, I think they’ll be ready to play some inspired basketball and try to keep their careers going for as long as possible.”
With March magic in the air, the Vandals will look to make their first semi-final since 2021.
The Idaho, Montana game winner will match up against the winner of Northern Arizona and out of Idaho State and Sacramento State matchup in the semi-final on Tuesday, March 12 at 1:30 p.m.
Jayden Barfuss can be reached at [email protected] or on X @JaydenBarfuss10