MOSCOW, Idaho – Another slow start got the best of the Vandals as Idaho (5-8, 0-2 BSC) dropped its second Big Sky game of the year to Montana (7-9, 2-1 BSC), 70-57, on Thursday night in the Cowan Spectrum.
 
THE GAME
Montana took a 10-point lead into the half after knocking down seven 3-pointers in the opening 20 minutes.  The Vandals struggled shooting early on, connecting on 7-of-23 attempts from the floor in the first half.
 
Idaho would mount a comeback in the second, cutting the deficit to just six points on multiple occasions, but could not get over the hump.  Turnovers plagued the Vandals in the end, as Idaho committed 20 to just six by the Grizzlies.  The Vandals shot tremendously well in the second half, hitting 13-of-21 (61.9%) attempts from the floor.
 
Victor Sanders led the Vandals in scoring for the 11^th time this season, finishing with 20.  Sanders shot 8-of-16 from the floor and grabbed three boards to go along with three assists before fouling out late.  Arkadiy Mkrtychyan had a solid night, returning to the starting lineup for the second time this season.  Mkrtychyan finished with nine points on 3-of-6 shooting to go along with six boards.  Pat Ingram
 
THE NAME
Pat Ingram.  The senior led Idaho with a career-high nine rebounds off the bench, including three offensive.  Ingram's best rebounding output to date was seven, against Corban earlier in the season.
 
Ingram also finished with four points and an assist on the night.
 
THE QUOTES
"We're just really struggling to put the ball in the basket right now," said head coach Don Verlin after the game.  "Our inadequacies there are really bothering us.  We shoot 30 percent in the first half then we start pressing a bit and turn the ball over way too many times, uncharacteristically of this basketball team because we've done a great job of taking care of the ball.
 
"But that was really the difference, we tried to fight back into it but we gave up a few too many second chance points, some extra rebounds.  But you have to give Montana credit.  They came in here and played well, he's got a good team and Travis does a good job coaching.
 
"What I told the guys in the lockerroom, we've got to continue to get better.  We're going through a transition, we've got some young guys out there, but we have to take a page out of football's book and keep fighting, keep battling, keep working every single day and stay the course.  Things will turn our way."
 
THE NOTES

• Ingram grabbed a career-high nine boards
• Sanders led Idaho in scoring for the sixth straight and 11^th game overall
• Idaho did not record a steal for the first time since February 14, 2015
• Idaho falls to 0-2 in Big Sky play.  The Vandals were picked by the coaches in the conference to finish second.

 
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.