Big Sky Conference men's quarterfinals — Vandals win first conference tourney game since 2017
Photo by IDAHO ATHLETICS Tyler Linhardt (22) of Idaho goes up for a layup against Portland State in the quarterfinals of the Big Sky Conference men's basketball tournament Monday night at the Idaho Central Arena in Boise.
From local reports
BOISE — After the Idaho Vandals lost by 12 and seven points to Portland State, Idaho came up with a new wrinkle when the teams met Monday night in the quarterfinals of the Big Sky Conference men’s basketball tournament at Idaho Central Arena.
A 2-3 zone.
Sixth-seeded Idaho forced third-seeded Portland State into 43 3-point shots (of its 72 total attempts), and the Vikings made just 11 as the Vandals rolled to an 80-70 victory.
“We learned our lesson from those first two games,” Idaho coach Alex Pribble said on the Vandals’ postgame radio show. “They pounded the ball inside on us relentlessly the first two games. It (the zone) really threw their rhythm off.”
Idaho (14-18) will play second-seeded Montana (23-9) tonight at 7:30 PDT in a semifinal game.
Kristian Gonzalez hit three 3-pointers and scored a game-high 24 points for Idaho. Jack Payne added 20 points for the Vandals.
Julius Mims, a senior from North Idaho College, had 10 points and nine rebounds for Idaho. Kolton Mitchell, a redshirt freshman from Lake City High, finished with five points, seven rebounds and four assists.
Idaho won a Big Sky Tournament game for the first time since 2017, and won for the first time since the event moved to Boise two years later.
Idaho led 34-20 at halftime, and built a 53-32 lead on a putback by Mitchell with 10:43 remaining.
The Vandals led 63-42 after a 3 by Payne with 6:53 left. Portland State (19-13) got as close as eight in the closing seconds.
Idaho lost to Montana by two and five points during Big Sky play.
Idaho 80, Portland St. 70
IDAHO (14-18)
Mims 4-4 2-5 10, Mrus 3-4 0-1 8, Gonzalez 7-12 7-8 24, Mitchell 2-11 1-2 5, Payne 6-11 4-4 20, Linhardt 3-6 2-4 9, Yearout 0-1 4-5 4, Brickner 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 25-51 20-29 80.
PORTLAND ST. (19-13)
Johnson 3-12 3-4 11, Miller 8-12 0-2 17, Minott 2-2 1-1 5, Henderson 4-18 0-0 10, Myers 5-10 0-0 14, Farrell 1-8 1-3 3, Curtiss 1-3 0-0 2, Nowell 1-2 0-0 3, Phipps 2-5 0-0 5, Brice 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 27-72 5-10 70.
Halftime_Idaho 34-20. 3-Point Goals_Idaho 10-29 (Payne 4-8, Gonzalez 3-8, Mrus 2-3, Linhardt 1-2, Brickner 0-1, Yearout 0-1, Mitchell 0-6), Portland St. 11-43 (Myers 4-9, Johnson 2-9, Henderson 2-13, Miller 1-2, Nowell 1-2, Phipps 1-3, Curtiss 0-2, Farrell 0-3). Fouled Out_Mims. Rebounds_Idaho 36 (Mims 9), Portland St. 29 (Miller 13). Assists_Idaho 14 (Mitchell 7), Portland St. 18 (Myers 6). Total Fouls_Idaho 14, Portland St. 22.