MOSCOW, Idaho – Another day, another close, hard fought battle on the hardwood for the Vandals, as Idaho (19-11, 11-6 BSC) defeated top-ranked Weber State (22-8, 14-3 BSC), 62-58, on Thursday night in Cowan Spectrum. With the win, the Vandals earn a first-round bye in the Big Sky Championships in Reno.
“The difference in this game was rebounding,” said head coach Don Verlin. “Like I told the guys in my locker room, I take my hats off for them. That was a man's effort tonight on the glass. This game came down to rebounding and we rebounded like men tonight.”
After Weber State tied things up at 57 with just over one minute to go, the Vandals looked to their top scorers to make a play. After a missed shot, Perrion Callandret chased down a rebound, forcing a jump ball and getting the ball back for the Vandals. Victor Sanders called his own number on the inbound play, rattling in a 3-pointer with 39 seconds left.
“Vic called his own number,” said Verlin. “He looked over at me, gave our little signal for our play call and I said 'alright, make it,' and he did.”
Idaho needed another stop to secure the win and played tremendous defense, forcing the Wildcats into a pair of contested 3's.
Verlin elected to send Player of the Year candidate Joel Bolomboy to the line for a pair with eight seconds left, up three. Bolomboy missed the first and hit the second, but Callandret was true at the line on the other end, draining both and earning the win.
“I just thought it was the right play, strategy-wise,” Verlin said. “I just felt like we needed to extend the game. We're a very good free throw shooting team and we felt like playing the possession game favored us.”
Sanders was the lone Vandal to score in double-figures, finishing with 14 points. Callandret and Chad Sherwood each scored nine.
The Vandals got production on the glass from across the board, led by Jordan Scott's nine. Sanders added eight, while Chris Sarbaugh grabbed seven.
It was an incredibly close game, with neither team holding a lead of more than four points in the second half. There were 16 lead changes on the night and 11 ties.
Idaho struggled from the field, shooting just 29 percent, but used their defense and rebounding to stay in the game. The Vandals dominated the glass, outrebounding the Wildcats 50-30. Idaho grabbed 20 offensive boards on the night.
The win moves the Vandals to 11-6 in the Big Sky standings and a tie for third with Idaho State. The winner on Saturday will earn the No. 3 seed. The Vandals are guaranteed a top-four seed, regardless of Saturday's outcome.
“It (the bye) is a nice thing to have,” Verlin said. “But we still have work to do.”
Next up, the Vandals host Idaho State on Saturday night at 7 p.m. Idaho will be celebrating senior day, so get out early to say goodbye to the senior class.
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
