Idaho could not secure the series sweep over Montana State, falling 62-48 in ICCU Arena on Thursday night.
The Bobcats came out of the gates hot, going on a 7-0 run in the first two minutes. Idaho went on an 8-2 run of its own over the next minute, but MSU countered with an 11-0 run.
Montana State was up by as many as 18 points in the first half but carried a 14-point lead into halftime.
“They jumped on us in the very beginning,” junior guard Quinn Denker said during the post-game press conference. “We were down by 14. We lost by 14.”
Junior guard Tyler Patterson and redshirt senior guard Robert Ford III led the Bobcats in the first half. Patterson scored 11 points while Ford added 10. They were also helped on the defensive end by graduate student guard Eddie Turner III, who had five steals.
Down 41-27, Idaho had to figure out a way to figure out how to play “together” with “Idaho basketball culture,” the two things Head Coach Alex Pribble writes on the locker room white board before games.
However, the Vandals were unable to do either. They kicked off the second half by sending sophomore forward Brandon Walker to the line and letting MSU roll to a 19-point lead. Idaho finally put points on the board after five minutes when redshirt junior forward Terren Frank hit a layup.
Idaho continued to play sloppy defense and minimal offense as MSU led by as many as 22 points.
With just under 10 minutes left, junior guard EJ Neal hit a three, sparking an 11-1 run for the Vandals. Neal netted eight of the 11 points, while junior forward Juice Mims put up the final three of the stretch.
The Bobcats followed Idaho’s 11-1 run with a 6-0 run of their own, practically ending the game. Frank was able to put up another four points in the final two minutes, but all they did was turn a 62-44 win into a 66-48 win for MSU.
Idaho had a strong second half, but it was too little too late. The defense held Patterson to zero points, Ford to four points and the whole team to 21 points. The offense also played much better, only turning the ball over seven times, with only two being steals by Turner.
“In our halftime talk, we looked ourselves in the mirror, looked each other in the eye and told each other ‘Play solid. Play like we know how to play,” Neal said. “We kept playing hard today, and obviously it wasn’t the result we want to get, but we’ve got to lead on to the next game.”
The Vandals’ final home game will be Saturday, March 2 at 2 p.m. against the University of Montana. Idaho will honor guard D’Angelo Minnis for senior night before tip-off.
James Taurman-Aldrich can be reached at [email protected] or on X @jamesaldrich25