Vandals win, will host second-round game

LOS ANGELES — Taylor Pierce scored 20 of her 24 points in the first half as Idaho cruised to a 79-64 victory over Loyola Marymount in the first round of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament on Thursday night at Gersten Pavilion.

The Vandals (21-11) will host their second-round game Sunday at 2 p.m. against Denver (18-13) at Memorial Gym in Moscow.

The win is Idaho’s first in a WNIT since 1986 — when the Vandals went on to win the tournament.

Pierce was 5 for 10 from 3-point range in the first half, breaking the NCAA single-season record for 3-pointers. She finished with five triples to bring her season total to 143.

Lizzy Klinker matched Pierce with a career-high 24 points, and she also had 15 rebounds.