San Jose's treys sink Vandals

LAS VEGAS - Idaho's men's basketball lost in the quarterfinals of the Western Athletic Conference tournament for the sixth straight year Thursday afternoon.

Keith Shamburger and Adrian Oliver scored 28 points each, and San Jose State knocked off another higher seed in the WAC tournament by beating Idaho 74-68 at Orleans Arena.

"I didn't think it was for lack of effort or preparation on our team's part," Idaho coach Don Verlin said. "I thought San Jose State did a great job of making their shots and they played a heck of game."

Fourth-seeded Idaho (18-13) dominated inside, outscoring the Spartans 32-12, but couldn't keep up with Shamburger and Oliver on the perimeter, ending an up-and-down season on a down note.

Jeff Ledbetter led Idaho with 21 points and Luiz Toledo added 12.

"San Jose made 13 3s; we're the best field goal team in the conference and today we weren't," Verlin said. "I thought San Jose did a great job of making their shots. I made some bad calls down the stretch. We didn't execute the way I liked."

San Jose State (17-14), the No. 8 seed, pulled off a mild upset in the WAC opener, knocking off fifth-seeded Hawaii to extend its season at least one more game. The Spartans earned another reprieve behind their perimeter shooting, hitting 13 3-pointers, including six each by Shamburger and Oliver.

Next up is a daunting task in tonight’s semifinals: against No. 23 Utah State, the tournament’s top seed and overwhelming favorite.

“We’re not tired, we’re just warmed up,” Oliver said.

The Vandals had gone into the tournament on a roll. Idaho opened conference with five straight losses, but won six of its final eight games to finish tied for third in the WAC and earn its most wins since 1992-93.

Spreading it around, Idaho hit 13 of 27 shots and had seven players score at least four points to lead 36-34. San Jose State relied on its backcourt, getting 25 points and seven 3-pointers from Oliver (14 points, four 3s) and Shamburger.

Shamburger hit two more 3s in the first 4 minutes of the second half, then followed two from Oliver with a steal and breakaway layup that gave the Spartans their biggest cushion of the game, 54-48.

San Jose State later pushed the lead to nine, but Idaho fought its way back, tying it at 68-all on Deremy Geiger’s spinning jumper in the lane with 3 minutes left.

The Spartans then turned a blocked shot into a breakaway layup by Shamburger, who followed with two free throws to make it 72-68 with 31 seconds left after Wil Carter blocked Ledbetter’s 3-point attempt at the other end. Former North Idaho College standout Shawn Henderson missed a 3-pointer for Idaho and Oliver hit two free throws to seal it with 16 seconds left.

“I was real happy with our composure and discipline throughout the game,” San Jose State coach George Nessman said. “They did what I needed them to do.”

Afterward, Idaho accepted a bid to play in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament. The Vandals will play at the University of San Francisco (17-14) next Wednesday at 7 p.m.

SAN JOSE ST. (17-14)

Carter 2-7 2-2 6, Ballard 0-2 0-0 0, Shamburger 9-14 4-5 28, Oliver 9-21 4-4 28, Graham 3-11 1-1 7, Douglas 1-3 2-2 5, Jones 0-1 0-0 0, Henson 0-0 0-0 0, Ton 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-59 13-14 74.

IDAHO (18-13)

Wiley 5-5 0-0 10, Toledo 4-7 4-5 12, Ledbetter 7-13 2-2 21, Henderson 3-11 0-0 8, Geiger 1-7 0-0 2, Tatum 2-4 2-3 6, Barone 1-3 1-1 3, Madison 2-5 2-2 6. Totals 25-55 11-13 68.

Halftime_Idaho 36-34. 3-Point Goals_San Jose St. 13-23 (Shamburger 6-9, Oliver 6-10, Douglas 1-2, Graham 0-2), Idaho 7-21 (Ledbetter 5-10, Henderson 2-7, Madison 0-1, Geiger 0-3). Fouled Out_Tatum. Rebounds_San Jose St. 35 (Carter 11), Idaho 32 (Barone, Henderson 5). Assists_San Jose St. 13 (Graham 5), Idaho 13 (Geiger 5). Total Fouls_San Jose St. 12, Idaho 15. A_NA.