COLLEGE MEN'S BASKETBALL: Mitchell powers Vandals past UC Riverside
IDAHO ATHLETICS Idaho redshirt freshman guard Kolton Mitchell looks for an open teammate during Saturday's game against UC Riverside at ICCU Arena in Moscow. Mitchell, the former Lake City High star, scored a career-high 16 points and added five assists in an 80-68 win.
From wire and news services
Kolton Mitchell, the former Lake City High star, scored a career-high 16 points and added five rebounds and five assists for the Idaho Vandals in an 80-68 win over UC Riverside in front of 1,567 at ICCU Arena in Moscow on Saturday.
Kristian Gonzalez scored 25 points for Idaho (3-5).
The game was close early with both teams struggling to get into an offensive rhythm. The Vandals led 7-3, but the Highlanders tied the game up at 9-9 and again at 14 with 9:56 to play in the first.
Gonzalez hit a putback layup to give the Vandals a 16-14 lead and then hit a three-pointer off of a turnover to extend the lead to 19-14.
Julius Mims, the former North Idaho College star, had seven points and four rebounds for Idaho.
"It's about consistency with us this time of the year," Idaho coach Alex Pribble said. "We've shown sparks playing well offensively and sparks playing well defensively, but I thought the guys put it all together for 37 minutes tonight. They've worked hard and remained bought in to the process. So it is good to get a win against a good, well-coached UC Riverside team."
Tyler Mrus had 13 points and went 5 of 11 from the field (3 for 9 from 3-point range).
Isaiah Moses led the way for the Highlanders (4-4) with 13 points. Barrington Hargress added 12 points for UC Riverside.
Idaho travels to Missouri-Kansas City in the Big Sky-Summit League Challenge on Wednesday at 5 p.m.
Idaho 80, UC Riverside 68
UC RIVERSIDE (4-4)
Smith 3-10 3-4 11, Armotrading 3-4 0-0 6, Hargress 5-9 0-0 12, Moses 4-8 3-3 13, Pickens 1-3 2-2 4, Schulte 2-5 0-2 5, Olabode 1-3 0-0 2, Strauss 3-5 0-0 8, Whitbourn 1-5 0-0 2, Davis 2-3 1-1 5, Turner 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 25-57 9-12 68.
IDAHO (3-5)
Mims 3-3 1-2 7, Mrus 5-11 0-0 13, Gonzalez 8-15 4-4 25, Mitchell 5-10 3-3 16, Payne 3-6 0-0 7, Rose 2-4 1-2 6, Anderson 0-4 2-3 2, Linhardt 1-5 0-0 2, Brickner 0-0 0-0 0, Hardy 1-1 0-0 2, Yearout 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 28-59 11-14 80.
Halftime_Idaho 39-27. 3-Point Goals_UC Riverside 9-21 (Strauss 2-3, Hargress 2-4, Moses 2-5, Smith 2-5, Schulte 1-1, Pickens 0-1, Turner 0-1, Whitbourn 0-1), Idaho 13-37 (Gonzalez 5-11, Mitchell 3-6, Mrus 3-9, Payne 1-3, Rose 1-3, Linhardt 0-2, Anderson 0-3). Rebounds_UC Riverside 28 (Smith 5), Idaho 31 (Rose 7). Assists_UC Riverside 10 (Hargress, Moses 3), Idaho 18 (Mitchell, Rose 5). Total Fouls_UC Riverside 17, Idaho 16. A_1,567 (4,200).