MOSCOW, Idaho – The Vandal men (4-12, 1-4 BSC) fell at home to Montana State (7-8, 4-1 BSC), 77-67, on Thursday night in the Cowan Spectrum.
 
THE GAME
 
Neither team got out to much of a start, eventually resulting in a 6-6 stalemate nearly six minutes into the contest.  Montana State used an incredibly balanced offense to go on a run and take the 30-21 advantage into the break.
 
The Vandal defense was strong in the first half, holding the Bobcats to 37.5 percent (12-of-32) from the floor and 13.3 percent (2-of-15) from beyond the arc.  The offense, however, was slow to get going and finished 9-of-29 (31.0%) from the field and 3-of-15 (20.0%) from deep in the half.
 
While the defense kept Idaho alive in the first half, the offense took over in the second.  The Vandals were able to cut the deficit to three on two occasions, both on 3-pointers from RayQuawndis Mitchell.  The freshman got hot, knocking down both midway through the frame to ignite the crowd and swing the momentum back to the Vandals.
 
But when the offense got going, the defense started to struggle with Tyler Hall and Harald Frey.  Each scored 14 in the second half, and combined for six assists.  The Vandals were able to put up 46 points in the second, but the Bobcats netted 47.  In the end, Montana State took the 77-67 win.
 
Trevon Allen led the way for Idaho with 23 points on 10-of-17 (58.8%) shooting.  He also grabbed four rebounds and dished out four assists.  Mitchell added a career-best 15 points off the bench, while Cameron Tyson chipped in with 11 points.
 
THE NAME
 
RayQuawndis Mitchell.  Mitchell dropped a career-high 15 points, going 4-of-8 from beyond the arc along the way.  It's just the second time in his career that Mitchell scored in double-figures.
 
THE NOTES
 
Idaho falls to 4-12 on the season and 1-4 in Big Sky play.
 
Mitchell scored a career-high 15 points.
 
Allen topped 20 points for the third time in the last four games.
 
Idaho did not record a second chance point.
 
THE QUOTES
 
 
 
The Vandals get more than a full week off before taking on defending Big Sky Champs, Montana, in the Cowan Spectrum at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 19.
 
Fans can stay up-to-date on all things Idaho men's basketball by following the team on twitter, @VandalHoops.  Ticket packages are on sale at GoVandals.com/Tickets.

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.