Idaho State stifles Weber State women’s basketball in Big Sky tournament quarterfinals
Coach Jackson 'excited' about future of WSU program
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- Weber State’s Lanae Billy (32) drives against Idaho State’s Alyse Aby in a Big Sky tournament quarterfinal Monday, March 10, 2025, in Boise, Idaho.
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- Weber State’s Dakota Nap, left, drives baseline against Idaho State’s Tasia Jordan in a Big Sky tournament quarterfinal Monday, March 10, 2025, in Boise, Idaho.
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- Weber State’s Kendra Parra (3) probes near the paint against Idaho State’s Sophia Covello (22) in a Big Sky tournament quarterfinal Monday, March 10, 2025, in Boise, Idaho.
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- Weber State’s Taylor Smith (20) shoots over Idaho State’s Piper Carlson (14) in a Big Sky tournament quarterfinal Monday, March 10, 2025, in Boise, Idaho.
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- Weber State’s Rose Bubakar dribbles toward the hoop against Idaho State in a Big Sky tournament quarterfinal Monday, March 10, 2025, in Boise, Idaho.
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- Weber State players celebrate a made basket in a Big Sky tournament quarterfinal Monday, March 10, 2025, in Boise, Idaho.
Weber State women’s basketball made big strides this season but perhaps got some schooling at the hands of a veteran coach Monday afternoon at Idaho Central Arena in Boise, Idaho.
Idaho State denied and harassed sophomore Taylor Smith wherever she went, sticking Weber State’s offense in mud from tipoff — something the Wildcats couldn’t find traction to escape.
The No. 5 Bengals put away the No. 4 Wildcats with a 62-42 decision in the Big Sky Conference tournament quarterfinals.
“It was a tough night for us. Not our best basketball, for sure. … It’s always a tough balance this time of year, your last game of the season, win or go home. It does not feel great right now,” second-year WSU head coach Jenteal Jackson said. “But I don’t want to take away, too, from all we accomplished this year. A lot of mix of emotions, as far as that goes, in the locker room.”
Junior shooting guard Lanae Billy shot 3 of 4 in the first half, all from distance, to lead the Wildcats. Everyone else was 1 of 18, however. Billy’s first 3 made it 13-9 late in the first quarter but the Bengals answered with a 12-0 run and led 32-15 at halftime.
Seton Sobelewski, in his 17th season at Idaho State, tried to stop Smith and Kendra Parra, and see what else the eight-player rotation of Weber State could do.
“They were denying really aggressively one pass away … just everywhere we went, they were there. They were extremely paint heavy, and they are typically,” Jackson said. “We didn’t have enough movement to make it tough for them … they were really all over Kendra and Taylor tonight, trying to take them out of the game.”
In the end, Weber State (13-16) made just 12 field goals, eight of them from behind the arc. Billy led WSU with 16 points and four rebounds. Senior Kennedy Eskelson scored 10 points, making three 3-pointers. Senior Rose Bubakar added six points. Parra scored four.
In the post, Smith and junior Antoniette Emma-Nnopu combined to shoot 0 of 17 from the field and scored two points (Smith made two free throws). Emma-Nnopu grabbed 10 rebounds; Smith had four rebounds and a team-high three assists.
The margin sat between 18 and 22 for most of the second half.
“I thought it was way different from last year … it just sucks that it ended like this,” Parra said.
For Idaho State (14-16), Piper Carlson scored while fouled three times in the first half, netting 10 of her team-high 16 points in the frame and finishing with seven rebounds. Kacey Spink totaled 10 points, eight rebounds, three assists, four steals and three blocks. Tasia Jordan also scored 10 points. Sophia Covello hit 3-pointers to open each half, finishing with eight points and five assists.
Monday marked the final game for seniors Bubakar, Eskelson and Parra while also sending off injured Rita Satini.
Billy and Emma-Nnopu are set to return as seniors, with Smith as a junior, for next season’s group. True freshmen rotation players Dakota Nap and Mata Peaua are also lined up to return, along with injured sophomore Japrix Stubbs and lightly used sophomore Amanda Edwards.
Redshirting this season were sophomore Arizana Peaua and a talented-looking group of freshmen in Maya Davis, Fui Niumeitolu and Vanna Quintana.
“We’re excited about the kids we have here. … We’re extremely sad to lose our seniors, they’ve been a huge part of our growth and our progress at Weber State and what we’ve able to accomplish this year,” Jackson said. “But feel really good about the kids we have and the kids we have coming back … to just keep growing and building here. And I think they’re excited, too.
“We’re starting to get a good feel for Big Sky and Big Sky basketball, where we’re at and where we need to be, to contend. It’s exciting. … Hats off to our kids. I thought they showed up every day, we fought, we grew a lot since Day 1 with 10 new kids and really proud of our progress.”
