After a tough start to last season, the Vandals were looking to turn things around. They would have to do so on the road against a tough University of Denver team.
The game began with both teams trading baskets, misses and turnovers. The Vandals struggled in the first half, going 41% from the field and 3/14 from the 3-point line. Junior forward/center Isaac Jones and fifth-year guard Divant’e Moffitt led the Vandals in scoring in the first half with eight points each.
Idaho trailed 35-30 going into halftime as Denver shot the ball better. The Pioneers went 9/15 from the field and 2/4 from three.
It looked like both teams had very different halftime speeches as the second half could not have started worse for Idaho. The Vandals did not score in the first four minutes, and Denver could not miss. The Pioneers extended their lead to 12, forcing head coach Zac Claus to call a timeout.
Despite the large deficit, the Vandals did not quit. They pushed Denver to the brink as they brought the game within two points. Idaho had a chance to make it one-point game after Moffit slashed through the middle to score and draw the foul, setting up a three-point play opportunity. However, words were exchanged, and the referee gave Moffitt his fifth, and final, foul with four minutes to go.
Fifth-year guard Trey Smith took the free throw instead of Moffitt and missed. Denver once again pushed the lead to eight points, and it looked like the game was over. Senior Guard Rashaad Smith hit a late three, making it 60-57, but in the end, Denver was just too much. The Pioneers shot exponentially better than the Vandals, claiming the first regular season game of the year 68-63.
The Vandals did not improve their shooting, finishing the game 25/61 from the field, 6/30 from the 3-point line and 7/11 from the charity stipe. Jones led all Vandals with 15 points and five rebounds in an impressive regular season debut for the Vandals.
Denver was led by sophomore guard Tevin Smith with 23 points. Free throws were a huge part of this game, and Denver failed to capitalize on almost half of them. They attempted 33 and only made 17, giving the Vandals a real shot to win. The Vandals had a rough first game, but were right there as a new team trying to build chemistry.
The Vandals will play their home opener against Walla Walla in ICCU Arena tonight at 6 p.m.
Jayden Barfuss can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @JaydenBarfuss10