03/11/26 06:35:00
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03/11 18:30 CDT Idaho women beat Montana State 60-57 to win Big Sky tourney,
clinch NCAA Tournament berth
Idaho women beat Montana State 60-57 to win Big Sky tourney, clinch NCAA
Tournament berth
BOISE, Idaho (AP) --- Ana Beatriz Passos scored 12 points, Ana Pinheiro and
Hope Hassmann each added 11, and top-seeded Idaho beat No. 2 seed Montana State
60-57 on Wednesday night to win the Big Sky Conference Tournament and clinch a
berth in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in a decade
Idaho (29-5) won its first regular season conference title since 2019 and its
first Big Sky Conference Tournament since 2016. Second-year coach Arthur
Moreira --- the first Brazilian head coach in Division I history --- led the
Vandals to a program record for single-season wins. Idaho won 28 games in the
1984-85 season.
Debora dos Santos grabbed 10 rebounds to go with nine points for the Vandals.
Taylee Chirrick made a layup, and Ella Johnson hit a 3-pointer --- her only
points of the game --- to cut Montana State's deficit to a point with 54
seconds left, but the Bobcats didn't score again.
Hassmann made 2 of 6 from the free-throw line from there, and Lorena Barbosa
blocked a potential tying 3-point shot by Johnson with about a second left.
Chirrick had 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting for the Bobcats (25-7), the 2025 Big
Sky Conference Tournament champion.
The Bobcats scored seven of the first nine second-half points to tie it 38-all,
but dos Santos responded with a layup before Kyra Gardner and Ella Uriarte made
3s as the Vandals led the rest of the way.
Montana State beat the Vandals 99-66 at home Jan. 10 and lost 73-70 at Idaho on
Feb. 5.
Up next
Montana State: Hopes for a potential postseason invitation.
Idaho: Awaits seeding for the NCAA Tournament.
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