Idaho continues its three-game road stretch with the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks Thursday and a trip to Southern Utah on Saturday.
The Vandals continue their search for a win, desperately seeking to end an 11-game losing streak. The past 10 losses were all by double digits.
The last time these two teams met at the beginning of the season, Northern Arizona’s Ted Mccree knocked down eight 3-pointers on the Vandals. The Lumber- jacks controlled the glass as well, outrebounding Idaho 45-35 on the boards.
Northern Arizona’s star player, Bernie Andre, also played well against the Vandal defense.
Mccree and Andre combined for 44 points last game, and if the Vandals want a chance to win, shutting down those two scorers will be key.
Sophomore guard Geno West drives toward the hoop past a Northern Colorado player in Cowan Spectrum.
The Lumberjacks made the Vandals pay, with Idaho playing a zone defense throughout. It will be interesting to see if Idaho Head Coach Don Verlin keeps the strategy with the zone full court pressure or decides to play more man to man defense during Thursday’s game.
At this point in the season, it is hard to pinpoint on who the Vandals should rely on with scoring, as the whole team has struggled during the losing streak.
The Vandals play best when they control the clock and get their big men inside the paint early. If Idaho forwards Jared Rodriguez and Scott Blakney can find early , it will allow for shots on the perimeter to open up.
Rodriguez played well last time against the Lumberjacks, with foul troubles hurting his momentum throughout. If the Vandals play smart and reduce their turnovers, Rodriguez could help this team get close to their first victory in almost two months.
Idaho has only picked up one win on the road this entire season, so pulling off another win on the road will be a huge boost.
The last time Idaho played Southern Utah, turnovers and rebounding woes played a factor in the Vandals’ loss.
If the Vandals can play smart and keep Southern Utah off the glass, there is a great chance for an Idaho victory.
Southern Utah shot 6-23 from behind the arc, so if Idaho can hold the Thunderbirds from behind the arc again, the Vandals can find themselves knocking on a potential win late in the game.
If the Vandals hope to get another win before the season ends, a strong performance against Northern Arizona and Southern Utah could help turn the tide on this season.
Chris Deremer can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @Cderemer_VN