Preview: Idaho Vandals at Sacramento State Hornets

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Interstat) — A surging Idaho Vandals squad visits the Sacramento State Hornets in a Big Sky Conference women’s basketball matchup Thursday night at Colberg Court.

Idaho (13-5, 4-1 Big Sky) enters on a two-game winning streak, most recently routing Weber State 95-76 on Saturday. The Vandals have won four of their last five, with their only conference loss a 99-66 road defeat to Montana State on Jan. 10.

The Vandals are led by guard Kyra Gardner, who is coming off a dominant 27-point, 8-rebound performance against Weber State. Gardner has scored 28 and 27 points in two of her last four games, providing consistent offensive firepower. She is complemented by forward Debora Dos Santos, who posted a 12-point, 12-redouble-double in the same contest.

Sacramento State (9-9, 3-2) looks to rebound from a 68-46 loss at Northern Colorado on Saturday. The Hornets had won three straight prior to that defeat, including a 60-39 victory over Weber State where guard Benthe Versteeg recorded an 18-point, 10-rebound, 5-assist stat line. Versteeg leads the Hornets’ backcourt, averaging 13.1 points and 4.1 assists per game.

The matchup pits Idaho’s high-scoring offense, which averages 76.2 points per game, against a Sacramento State defense that allows just 60.2 points per contest at home. The Vandals have shown potency on the road in conference play, winning at Montana and Eastern Washington earlier this month.

This game is the first of two regular-season meetings between the teams. They will meet again in Moscow, Idaho, on Feb. 21.

Idaho next visits Portland State on Saturday. Sacramento State hosts Eastern Washington on Saturday.