Idaho women beat rival Idaho State in regular-season finale
POCATELLO — Natalie Klinker tallied 15 points and 13 rebounds as the Idaho women’s basketball team finished with regular season with a 61-50 Big Sky Conference victory Friday against the Idaho State Bengals at Reed Gym.
“Nat really took it to them and the more physical the better for her, Idaho coach Jon Newlee said. “She wasn’t here for the first game against them but she went at them this time.”
With the victory, the Vandals (20-9, 15-5 Big Sky), who won the regular-season title in 2018-19, locked up second place in the conference all by themselves and will finish four games behind league champion Montana State (23-6, 19-1). Despite that, Idaho does get a bye in the conference tournament that begins Monday at CenturyLink Arena in Boise. The Vandals will have a bye, and will play the Portland State-Eastern Washington winner at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Lizzy Klinker added 12 points and seven rebounds, while Gina Marxed finished with 11 points and Hailey Christopher contributed nine points and 10 rebounds for Idaho, which ends the regular season on a six-game winning streak.
Dora Goles had 21 points and Diaba Konate added 15 and five assists for Idaho State (17-12, 13-7), which will have the No. 3 seed in the tournament.
One big key for the Vandals in the win was rebounding. Idaho had a 12-5 edge on the offensive glass and held a 50-27 edge overall.
“Honestly one of our big game plans was getting the rebounds and taking over the boards,” Natalie Klinker said. “You have to do that to take over the game.”
The Vandals trailed by one at halftime, but surged in the third quarter, outscoring the Bengals 22-13 to take a 46-38 lead to the fourth. Idaho started to pull away, taking a lead as large as 17 points before cruising from there.
“It was an extremely physical game, as it always is with Idaho State,” Newlee said. “I thought we did a good job of matching that tonight. They came out strong and the crowd did a great job of supporting them. I told our team that we just had to come out and overcome the initial nerves and we did a good job as the game went on.”
IDAHO (20-9, 15-5)
Bea 4-10 1-2 9, N. Klinker 7-8 1-5 15, Pulliam 0-4 0-0 0, Marxen 2-8 6-6 11, L. Klinker 6-13 0-0 12, King 0-2 0-0 0, Christopher 3-6 2-2 9, Hadden 2-4 0-0 5, Kirby 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 24-56 10-15 61.
IDAHO STATE (17-12, 13-7)
Smith 2-5 0-0 4, Oltrogge 0-3 0-0 0, Goles 9-20 0-0 21, Bourne 0-7 0-0 0, Konate 6-16 3-3 15, Moore 4-10 0-0 8, Vicente 0-2 0-0 0, Barrientos 0-1 2-2 2. Totals 21-64 5-5 50.
Idaho 11 13 22 15—61
Idaho St. 17 8 13 12—50
3-point goals — Idaho 3-20 (Hadden 1-1, Christopher 1-3, Marxen 1-7, Kirby 0-1, Bea 0-2, Pulliam 0-2, L. Klinker 0-2, King 0-2), Idaho State 3-6 (Goles 3-4, Bourne 0-1, Konate 0-1). Fouled out — Smith. Rebounds — Idaho 50 (N. Klinker 13), Idaho State 27 (Oltrogge 6). Assists — Idaho 7 (Bea 3), Idaho State 9 (Konate 5). Total fouls — Idaho 11, Idaho State 21. A — 1,156.
COLLEGE BASEBALLWashington State 6, Niagara 3
PULLMAN — Kyle Manzardo had a two-out, three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning that pushed the Cougars past the Purple Eagles.
Manzardo went 2-for-4 in the game with four RBI for Washington State (7-6), which moved above .500 for the first time since winning the season opener at Bakersfield. Jack Smith went 2-for-3 with a one-out, two-run homer in the sixth, and Justin Van De Brake also had two hits.
“Manzo got the pitch and he hammered it,” first-year coach Brian Green said. “Manzo just continues to be really, really good for us and he’s putting together a heckua season.”
Connor Barlson (1-0) picked up the win by allowing two hits, two walks and one run in two innings in relief of starter Zane Mills. Owen Leonard pitched a perfect ninth, striking out one, to pick up his second save of the season.
Seven different players had a hit for Niagara (5-6), including doubles by Dawson Bailey and Peter Battaglia. Battaglia, Benny Serrano and Marty Cole drove in the runs for the Purple Eagles. Alex MacKinnon (2-1) took the loss, allowing four hits and three runs, striking out two in 1ž innings of work.
The two teams will play the third game of the four-game set at 3:05 p.m. today.
Niagara 000 011 100—3 7 0
WSU 000 102 03x—6 8 0
Bruning, MacKinnon (7) and Tevlin; Mills, Barlson (7), Leonard (9) and Meyer. W—Barlson (1-0). L—MacKinnon (2-1). S—Leonard (2).
Niagara hits — Bailey (2B), Battaglia (2B), O’Connor, Serrano, Giordano, Gabriele, Cole.
WSU hits — Smith 2 (HR), Manzardo 2 (HR), Van De Brake 2, Clifford, Gouldsmith.
TRACK AND FIELDCarson sixth for L-C
BROOKINGS, S.D. — Madi Carson placed sixth in the women’s pole vault and Clayton VanDyke posted the best qualifying time in the men’s 800-meter run on a strong day for Lewis-Clark State at the NAIA national indoor track meet at Sanford-Jackrabbit Athletic Complex.
Cole Olsen and Emily Adams each advanced to the final of their respective 3,000-meter races.
The Warriors had hoped for a national title for Carson, but the junior from Nampa secured All-America status for the second consecutive year, having placed second a year ago. She cleared 12 feet, 4½ inches this time.
VanDyke won the final of three heats of the 800 in a school-record 1 minute, 53.11 to post the best overall time.
Olsen, setting what LCSC coach Mike Collins called “a blistering pace,” won his heat and recorded the second-fastest time, 8:44.73, just behind Oklahoma City’s Kiputo Cherutich oin 8:44.02.
Adams placed third in her heat in a PR 10:10.62, the fifth-best overall time and 0.21 seconds shy of the school record.
“A great Day 2 for the Warriors,” Collins said.