The Idaho men’s basketball team could not overcome an 8-point halftime deficit Friday, as the team fell to Montana 81-72 in the semifinals of the Big Sky Conference tournament.
The Grizzlies shot 71.4 percent in the second half to clinch the victory and eliminate the Vandals from conference contention.
“We fought to get the best shots for us at every opportunity,” said Montana head coach Travis DeCuire. “They did a good job with midcourt pressure.”
The Vandals initially jumped out to a 15-9 lead over the Grizzlies, but Montana responded with a 19-3 run to grab a 28-18 advantage.
The Grizzlies capitalized on 15 points from nine Vandal turnovers to enter halftime with a 34-26 lead.
Junior guard Perrion Callandret led Idaho in the first half with eight points and four rebounds. Sophomore guard Victor Sanders provided another eight points, including back-to-back 3-pointers.
Junior guard Walter Wright scored 12 points for Montana in the first half, while redshirt senior Martin Breunig contributed nine.
The Grizzlies shot 59.1 percent from the field during this span, compared to 43.5 percent by Idaho.
Montana entered the second half with a three-minute scoring drought, which allowed Idaho to cut the deficit to 38-34 after eight consecutive free throws.
“We made a couple mistakes and fouled a couple of guys who were good shooters,” DeCuire said.
The Vandals later reduced the Montana lead to two points, but the Grizzlies responded with consecutive 3-pointers from White and freshman guard Bobby Moorehead to take a 60-52 lead.
The Grizzlies used a 9-9 shooting streak from the field to stretch the lead to 68-59 with four minutes remaining in the game.
Despite a late offensive push from Idaho, Montana claimed the 81-72 win and a berth in the finals of the Big Sky tournament.
“I like to think defensively we did all the right things we needed to do,” DeCuire said.
Foul trouble plagued the Vandals down the stretch, forcing the team to play without Sanders after the sophomore received his fifth call.
The Grizzlies finished the game shooting 65.1 percent from the field, compared to 46.3 percent for Idaho.
Montana dominated the post during Friday’s game, as the team scored 38 points in the paint.
Callandert led all scorers with 25 points. Sanders finished with 18 for Idaho, while sophomore forward Arkadiy Mkrtychyan contributed nine points.
Breunig provided the bulk of the Montana offense with 22 points, while Wright finished with 20.
The Vandals finish the season with a 21-12 record, including a 12-6 record in Big Sky Conference play.
Josh Grissom can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @GoshJrissom