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Weber State guard Lanae Billy (32) drives against Idaho's Ana Pinheiro in the women's Big Sky tournament quarterfinals Sunday, March 8, 2026, at Idaho Central Arena in Boise.

Ava Nash, for WSU Athletics

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Weber State's Antoniette Emma-Nnopu (7) eyes an entry pass to Nicole Willardson (25) as Idaho's Kyra Gardner (3) defends in the women's Big Sky tournament quarterfinals Sunday, March 8, 2026, at Idaho Central Arena in Boise.

Ava Nash, for WSU Athletics

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Weber State guard Hannah Robbins, right, drives past Idaho's Ana Pinheiro in the women's Big Sky tournament quarterfinals Sunday, March 8, 2026, at Idaho Central Arena in Boise.

Ava Nash, for WSU Athletics

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Weber State guard Fui Niumeitolu (12) lofts a floater over Idaho's Kyra Gardner (3) in the women's Big Sky tournament quarterfinals Sunday, March 8, 2026, at Idaho Central Arena in Boise.

Ava Nash, for WSU Athletics

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Weber State guard Sydney White (22) tries to set up a play against Idaho's Ella Uriarte (5) in the women's Big Sky tournament quarterfinals Sunday, March 8, 2026, at Idaho Central Arena in Boise.

Ava Nash, for WSU Athletics

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Weber State guard Lanae Billy (32) shoots against Idaho's Kyra Gardner (3) in the women's Big Sky tournament quarterfinals Sunday, March 8, 2026, at Idaho Central Arena in Boise.

Ava Nash, for WSU Athletics

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Weber State guard Lanae Billy gets back on defense after making a 3-pointer against Idaho in the women's Big Sky tournament quarterfinals Sunday, March 8, 2026, at Idaho Central Arena in Boise.

Ava Nash, for WSU Athletics

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Weber State forward Arizana Peaua (11) shoots over Idaho's Debora dos Santos in the women's Big Sky tournament quarterfinals Sunday, March 8, 2026, at Idaho Central Arena in Boise.

Ava Nash, for WSU Athletics

❮ ❯

Weber State women’s basketball showed plenty of fight but Idaho showed why it’s the No. 1 team in the Big Sky on Sunday afternoon.

Using middle-quarter dominance, Idaho built a 21-point lead through three quarters and had enough cushion to withstand a big Weber State push on the way to a 66-52 victory in the Big Sky tournament quarterfinals at Idaho Central Arena in Boise.

Weber State (11-22) got 14 points apiece from its two seniors each putting a cap on their two-year stint in Ogden. Guard Lanae Billy and forward Antoniette Emma-Nnopu each tallied 14, with Emma-Nnopu adding seven rebounds and four assists.

Junior post Nicole Willardson totaled 10 points and a career-high 11 rebounds for the Wildcats. Those three players combined to shoot 9 of 17 from the 3-point line.

A back-and-forth first quarter bled into the start of the second quarter when Willardson made a 3 to put WSU ahead 15-14. But Idaho’s pressure began to wear on Weber, with the Vandals (27-5) keeping the Wildcats from quality shots while beginning to dominate the post.

Idaho paint players Debora dos Santos and Lorena Barbosa combined for 12 points in the frame; the Vandals outscored WSU 22-6 after Willardson’s 3 and took a 36-21 lead into halftime when WSU left Barbosa open for a straightaway 3 at the horn.

“They were a lot more aggressive this go-round. They really cranked it up, they were denying up on us … they just really sped us up first half, is what it felt like,” WSU head coach Jenteal Jackson said. “We went into a little more iso ball, which is not typical of us. Just needed to slow down, take a breath, run our offense and run a bunch of our actions that we needed to make them guard.”

The third quarter was much of the same. Idaho guard Ana Beatriz Passos Alves da Silva knocked down a 3 to give the Vandals a 54-30 lead with 30 seconds left in the quarter.

Emma-Nnopu ended the quarter with one of her three 3s, though, and unknowingly began a 20-6 run for Weber State. WSU burst out of the final break with a pair of buckets to precede a Willardson 3, then a Sydney White steal leading to a Billy triple seven seconds later. That made it 56-43 with 7:30 left.

Later, White made a 3, then another steal led White to find a rolling Arizana Peaua for a layup to cut the score to 60-50 with 4:00 remaining.

WSU’s gas ran out there, though. Hope Hassmann drove for a bucket on one of Idaho’s 17 offensive rebounds to all but put the game away at 65-50 with 3:00 left on the clock.

Hassmann and Kyra Gardner each also scored 14 to lead Idaho, with Hassmann adding six assists and five rebounds. Ana Pinheiro and dos Santos each scored 12 points.

Idaho advances to play Tuesday, facing the winner of Monday’s game between Idaho State and Sacramento State.

After starting Big Sky play with nine straight losses, WSU finished by winning four of six before the defeat to Idaho, but finished in ninth place.

Weber turns to next season returning five scholarship juniors while replacing the two seniors. WSU lost three players before the season began with knee injuries.

“It’s always tough when kids who are really playing well and peaking are done. It’s been a joy to coach them,” Jackson said of the seniors. “We’re going to miss them a lot.”