Cal State-Bakersfield and Idaho went toe-to-toe Saturday night in a back-and-forth game. This was not the first time they matched up: in the offseason, they both tried to recruit Mike Scott, the talented point guard out of Los Angeles.
Jessica Greene | Argonaut
Idaho senior Stephen Madison jumps for the rebound along with Bakersfield forward Erik Kinney, right, and Guard Brandon Barnes, left, at Saturday’s game. The Vandals won 64-61 over the Cal State Bakersfiedl Roadrunners.
Scott went on to score a career-high 20 points for Idaho in a game against the team that once tried and failed to recruit him.
The Vandals went on to beat Bakersfield 64-61.
“I talked to the guys in the locker room saying ‘We got to win this one,'” Scott said. “Bakersfield recruited me just as hard has Idaho did, so I felt like we really needed to win this game.”
Scott led the team in scoring 20 points while Stephen Madison joined with 20 of his own. The two, with Connor Hill’s 16 points, combined for 56 of the Vandals’ 64 points.
With the exception of a game against New Mexico State, the Vandals have gone down to the wire in each of their six conference games, only winning one of them previously.
This game was a breakthrough for the young team.
“It feels like every game we’ve had this year has been a nail biter going one way or another,” Idaho coach Don Verlin said. “It feels nice to win a close one. Hopefully that will give our guys some confidence.”
The WAC saw one of the better teams in the conference, New Mexico State, get swept in this week’s slate of games.
“Anyone can win anywhere, home or away. Everywhere you go, it seems like it’s a toss up,” Hill said. “This game was huge. It felt like we could just not pull one off for the longest time. It was extremely nice to finally get one, especially at home, where we haven’t got one yet.”
With one minute left to go, the Vandals held a one-point lead, while Bakersfield had possession, but were unable to get a basket. After that defensive stand, numerous players were able to hit their free throws and seal the game for the win.
“Thank God they went in tonight,” Verlin said of the free throws. “This team has had so many close games. It’s not only affecting my heart, it’s affecting my head.”
Idaho has seen its fair share of injuries this season, so Verlin decided to give the team a day off Friday, in hopes it would give them rest.
“It was much needed. It was nice to get that day off,” Hill said. “We watched a lot of film and tried to get ourselves mentally prepared for the game, instead of practicing and beating ourselves up.”
The strategy paid off as the Vandals, instead of tiring out as the game wore on, showed resiliency and finished strong.
The team should get more rest after they play Grand Canyon on Thursday. They will get eight days between then and Feb. 1, when they host Seattle U.
Korbin McDonald can be reached at [email protected]