Vandals fall short once again
Utah Valley downs Idaho
despite Madison's 21
From news services
MOSCOW - The Idaho men's basketball team clawed back from a 13-point second half deficit to pull within one, but could never get over the hump in a 71-66 loss to Utah Valley in Western Athletic Conference men's basketball Thursday night at Cowan Spectrum.
Idaho (7-12, 1-4 WAC) trailed 49-36 with 13:22 to play before going on a 21-9 extended run to make it a one-point, 58-57 game with just under six minutes to play. The Wolverines (9-7, 3-0) scored the next three points but Idaho kept it a two-or-fewer possession game throughout. Idaho freshman Perrion Callandret had two shots at would-be lead-changing 3-pointers, but both fell off the mark.
"Obviously it's tough when you can't find a way to win a basketball game," Idaho coach Don Verlin said. "It was the same story all night long, can't find a way to make a shot. I think we had a number of open shots from the perimeter, some drives, some college layups that we just weren't able to finish. To win, you can't let those opportunities slip away."
Stephen Madison led the Vandals with game-highs of 21 points and eight rebounds, while junior Connor Hill from Post Falls High added 19 points on 7-of-15 shooting.
Junior Mike Scott, who made the start at point guard for the injured Glen Dean, finished with 12 points, six rebounds and five assists without a turnover.
Mitch Bruneel, who played at Eagle High and the College of Southern Idaho, led Utah Valley with 18 points.
The Vandals shot just 37.9 percent from the field, going 22 for 58 and just 2 of 16 (12.5 percent) from 3-point range. Utah Valley had seven blocked shots, including four from 6-foot-9 center Ben Aird.
"I always think a good sized guy in there makes it difficult," Verlin said of Aird's presence. "But again those are college layups that we have to finish and when you look at the stat sheet at the end of the night and you shoot 37 (percent from the field) and 12 (percent from 3) you're probably not going to win a basketball game."
Idaho committed just six turnovers in the game, the second fewest this season, and forced UVU into 14 giveaways, leading to a 12-7 lead for the Vandals in points off turnovers.
Idaho hosts Bakersfield on Saturday.
UTAH VALLEY ST. (9-7)
Enos 1-2 0-0 3, Hunsaker 1-12 2-4 4, Bruneel 6-9 4-4 18, Nelson 4-6 3-6 12, Aird 2-6 7-7 11, Garrity 5-11 1-2 14, Evans 2-2 0-0 4, Ross 1-1 0-0 2, Brown 1-1 0-0 3. Totals 23-50 17-23 71.
IDAHO (7-12)
Hill 7-15 4-4 19, M. Scott 4-11 3-3 12, Seck 2-4 0-0 4, Madison 6-15 9-14 21, Kammerer 0-1 1-2 1, Callandret 2-10 2-4 6, Mpawe 1-2 1-2 3. Totals 22-58 20-29 66.
Halftime_Utah Valley St. 34-26. 3-Point Goals_Utah Valley St. 8-17 (Garrity 3-4, Bruneel 2-3, Brown 1-1, Nelson 1-1, Enos 1-2, Hunsaker 0-6), Idaho 2-16 (M. Scott 1-4, Hill 1-6, Madison 0-2, Callandret 0-4). Fouled Out_Kammerer. Rebounds_Utah Valley St. 38 (Bruneel 8), Idaho 32 (Madison 8). Assists_Utah Valley St. 16 (Nelson 4), Idaho 10 (M. Scott 5). Total Fouls_Utah Valley St. 20, Idaho 22. A_1,227.