LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – It took a full team effort on Friday night but Idaho (2-1) handled business at 2016 NCAA Tournament participant Little Rock (2-1), defeating the Trojans 65-57.
 
"First and foremost, I talked to them in the pregame about sticking to our bread-and-butter and our bread-and-butter is defense and rebounding," said head coach Don Verlin.  "Tonight we were excellent defensively.  When you hold a team like Little Rock to 31 percent from the field and 20 percent from 3, you just did a great job.  Now, because of all the missed shots they really got us on the offensive boards, but I thought we did a great job of really defending their guys."
 
Idaho got out to a strong start, hitting a pair of 3's on its first two possessions.  Trevon Allen nailed the first on the opening possession and Brayon Blake hit the second.
 
Little Rock would stay in it, eventually taking a 14-13 lead at the 13:47 mark, but Idaho would go on an incredible 12-0 run to take a commanding lead late in the first half.  Little Rock would go more than eight minutes without scoring a point during the stretch.
 
The Vandals stayed up for most of the second half, allowing Little Rock to tie the score once early.  But Idaho would bounce back to rebuild its lead and never looked back, icing the game with some clutch free throw shooting down the stretch.
 
Victor Sanders led the way for Idaho with 20 points, four rebounds and four assists.  Blake had another tremendous game, leading the Vandals with 12 boards and adding seven points. 
 
The Vandals were without veteran leader Perrion Callandret, but the freshman class stepped up.  Allen stepped up for his first collegiate start, finishing with just three points but contributing on both sides of the ball for 20 minutes.  Myles Franklin also gave some good minutes, splitting time with Allen and finishing with four points and four boards off the bench.
 
"I talk to the guys all the time about this being a 15-man lineup and every guy on this team is going to help us win, and Trevon and Myles stepped up tonight and played well," Verlin said.  "They ran the club, they protected the ball and they did what they needed to do."
 
The win snapped an 18-game home winning streak for Little Rock, the eighth longest streak in the nation.  Little Rock earned the Sun Belt's bid to the 2016 NCAA Tournament and defeated #5 Purdue before falling in the second round.
 
Idaho bounced back with its shooting performance, finishing at 42.9 percent (21-of-49) from the floor and 40 percent (6-of-15) from range.  Idaho was outrebounded on the night, 43-39.
 
Next up is a home contest with another NCAA Tournament participant, South Dakota State, on Monday night in Memorial Gym.  Check back with GoVandals.com later for more information on the game.
 
Fans can stay up-to-date on all things Idaho men's basketball by following the team on twitter, @VandalHoops.

For more information on Idaho Athletics, visit GoVandals.com.  Fans can also find Idaho on Twitter and Instagram, @Idaho_Vandals, or on Facebook by searching Idaho Vandals.