The Vandals only have three games left before the Big Sky Tournament in Boise. They’ll play two games at home before heading to Portland State for the final game of the regular season.
Montana State:
Idaho (11-17, 5-10) starts their long weekend at home against the Bobcats of Montana State (12-16, 7-8). Idaho took the win in Bozeman the first time around, but it wasn’t by much with a final score of 81-75.
Both teams split up the scoring, but in the end, Idaho’s five double-digit scorers to MSU’s four made the difference. Junior guard Juice Mims led the Vandals with 15 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks. Robert Ford III led the Bobcats also with 15 points, but only seven rebounds alongside six turnovers.
While it may not have shown in game one, Ford is one of the best defensive players in the Big Sky. His 2.9 steals a game lead the conference while his 7.9 rebounds per game are good enough for third.
“Robert Ford is a former First Team All-Conference in this league, (and) he’s been around for a long time,” Head Coach Alex Pribble said during a press conference. “He can win games on his own on both sides of the court.”
If Idaho hopes to get more than one series sweep this season, it must stop Ford. That means limiting his shot attempts, boxing out on every shot and protecting the ball each time down the court.
Idaho and MSU will tipoff at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 29 in ICCU Arena.
Montana
If Jason Eck’s football team started after the playoff loss to Southeastern Louisiana, Alex Pribble’s team started after the loss to Montana.
The Vandals entered Missoula with a seven-game losing streak on Feb. 1, and left with a 73-70 loss. Two days later, they picked up a win over Montana State. Since then, Idaho has gone 3-3.
“Our recent six-game stretch showcased strong play,” Mims said before Idaho’s Feb. 22 and 24 games against Northern Colorado and Northern Arizona. “Though a perfect record wasn’t achieved, it’s part of the learning process. We remain a formidable opponent and no team should underestimate our determination.”
That determination is going to be huge in this game. With Tyler Linhardt questionable for the rest of the season, and D’Angelo Minnis being day-to-day, everyone from 1-13 will have to step up against the Griz.
“We think we’re playing our best basketball right now. Getting healthy (and) getting our depth right is a part of that,” Pribble said. “Everybody that we’ve played, we’ve put a better performance against them the second time.”
Idaho will look to continue their streak of better performances as Montana comes to town at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 2.
Portland State
When the Vandals and Vikings tipoff, it will have been 65 days since their first meeting. Since then, Idaho has gone 4-9 in conference play while Portland State has gone 7-8.
“They’re actually playing a very different style, which you don’t see a lot,” Pribble said about the Vikings. “This is a team that had a tremendous amount of success in the pre-season, and they were playing a little bit more of a possession-by-possession game, which is unique for Portland State. Jase Coburn likes to have his teams get up and down and press a lot.”
Portland State’s style of play led to a 77-72 win in Moscow the first time around, and the Vikings will have even more motivation in round two. It’ll be senior night in Viking Pavilion as PSU honors six of their guys.
Of those six seniors, forward KJ Allen was the biggest thorn in Idaho’s side on Dec. 30, 2023. He put up 16 points and 11 rebounds, leading his team in both categories. Behind Allen was guard Jorell Saterfield, who had 15 points, but only three rebounds.
With both teams playing differently than they were at the beginning of conference play, there aren’t many insights to be made. The main point for the Vandals, especially if seeding wouldn’t change with a win, should be to ensure they stay healthy as the Big Sky Tournament tips off four days later.
Idaho and Portland State will start at 7 p.m. on Monday, March 4. The game will be available for streaming on ESPN+.
James Taurman-Aldrich can be reached at [email protected] or on X @jamesaldrich25