Vandals use 21-4 run early in 2nd half to put away Bobcats

| February 20, 2011 8:00 PM

BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) - Idaho built a 25-point second-half lead and held on for a 65-50 victory over reeling Montana State on Saturday night in a BracketBusters game.

Kyle Barone had 15 points, Brandon Wiley 13 and Jeff Ledbetter 11 for Idaho (15-11), which has a three-game non-conference road winning streak for the first time since 1990.

After Montana State (11-16) scored the first basket of the second half, the Vandals went on a 21-4 run to take a 41-16 lead. The Bobcats, who lost their ninth straight game, pulled within 44-31 with 12:09 to play. But Ledbetter answered with three free throws and Montana State got no closer until the final minute.

Bobby Howard had 19 points for the Bobcats, who shot less than 50 percent (35.8) for the 13th consecutive game and less than 40 percent for the eighth time in nine outings.

The Vandals, who play at Nevada on Thursday, shot 54.2 percent in the first half and outrebounded the Bobcats 36-28 for the game.

IDAHO (15-11)

Wiley 5-6 3-6 13, Toledo 3-6 2-4 8, Henderson 0-4 3-4 3, Ledbetter 3-4 3-3 11, Geiger 1-3 0-0 3, Tatum 3-5 2-4 8, Barone 5-10 5-9 15, Madison 0-4 4-4 4. Totals 20-42 22-34 65.

MONTANA ST. (11-16)

Howard 9-16 0-0 19, Piepoli 3-6 0-0 7, Johnson 0-1 0-0 0, Singleton 3-6 4-6 10, Rush 2-12 5-6 9, Trujeque 0-0 0-0 0, T. Anderson 0-1 0-0 0, Reid 0-4 0-0 0, Allou 0-0 1-3 1, C. Anderson 2-5 0-0 4, Budinich 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 19-53 10-15 50.

Halftime_Idaho 39-16. 3-Point Goals_Idaho 3-10 (Ledbetter 2-3, Geiger 1-3, Henderson 0-1, Madison 0-3), Montana St. 2-17 (Howard 1-2, Piepoli 1-3, Singleton 0-1, T. Anderson 0-1, Budinich 0-2, Reid 0-4, Rush 0-4). Fouled Out_Geiger, Johnson, Toledo. Rebounds_Idaho 36 (Henderson 7), Montana St. 28 (Howard 5). Assists_Idaho 9 (Henderson 3), Montana St. 7 (C. Anderson, Piepoli, Singleton 2). Total Fouls_Idaho 19, Montana St. 21. A_2,941.