Philip Vukelich | Argonaut
Idaho guards Mike Scott and Sekou Wiggs celebrate after the Vandal men’s basketball team knocks off two-time Western Athletic Conference champions New Mexico State 73-67 Thursday in the Cowan Spectrum. Stephen Madison led Idaho with 24 points.
The Idaho men’s basketball team has been on the wrong end of several close games this season. It appeared it was going to be the same old story for the Vandals in their matchup Thursday night versus New Mexico State.
The Aggies went on a 9-2 run, giving them an eight-point lead in the second half. The Vandals answered. After fighting back to tie the game, Glen Dean and Connor Hill would hit back-to-back 3s to give them the lead. They never trailed again, winning the game 73-67.
“I couldn’t be happier for the guys in the locker room,” Idaho coach Don Verlin said. “Everybody contributed tonight in a great win, I thought our mental focus was great all week and bottom line we were the most aggressive team tonight.”
The Vandals had no easy task, going up against arguably the best team in the conference. Armed with first team all-conference candidate Daniel Mullings and one of the tallest players in the country, 7-foot-5 center Sim Bhullar.
Dean described him as one big dude and Sekou Wiggs said he was like something he has never seen before.
At his height, Bhullar towers over everybody on the court. At times he was a dominant presence in the paint, blocking shots with ease and dunking without hardly jumping. At other times though, he didn’t even make it down the court in transition — and the Vandals took advantage.
“Sim gives them a different component,” Verlin said. “It’s maybe advantageous for us when he is out on the floor. Sim can’t move very well and we were able to put him in ball screens and do some things that I thought hurt their defense.”
Idaho took advantage of him when he was out there, often using a three-guard line-up, giving them more speed than their opponent. It was also Verlin’s strategy going into the game. Run, run and run some more, he said.
Stephen Madison continues his dominance in the WAC, scoring 24 points and adding eight rebounds. Wiggs added 16 points, coming one point shy of his career high of 17.
Wiggs found success driving in the lane, even though a 7-foot 5-inch Bhullar was waiting in the paint for him.
“He’s just big,” Wiggs said. “Its not impossible, yeah he is a big player, he’s a good shot blocker, he’s a big body presence, but there is always a way to get around him or score over him.”
The Vandals improved their record to 9-14 and 3-6 in the WAC and feel many of those games could have gone the other way.
Idaho concludes its home stand against Texas Pan-American 7 p.m. Saturday in the Cowan Spectrum.
“There is no question it’s anybody’s conference,” Verlin said. “The ability to win close games and continue to fight, I think the conference tourney will be anybody’s ball game.”
Korbin McDonald can be reached [email protected]