MOSCOW – The Idaho men's basketball team returns to non-conference play when they host the South Dakota State Jackrabbits on Wednesday at ICCU Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m.

FOLLOW: The matchup can be streamed live on ESPN+ while Fans can also listen over the airwaves with the Voice of the Vandals, Chris King, at GoVandals.com/Listen.

LAST TIME OUT: The Vandals opened up conference play this past Saturday against Big Sky preseason favorite Southern Utah. Idaho led with just over six minutes remaining but the Thunderbirds were able to force timely turnovers and go perfect from the foul line in the final five minutes to earn an 81-75 victory.

Senior guard Mikey Dixon delivered one of the best performances of his Division 1 career, dropping 27 points on 11-20 shooting from the field. Backcourt mate Trevante Anderson supplied his sixth double-digit performance by scoring 12 points while freshman Ethan Kilgore tallied 10 points in his first start of the season. 

SCOUTING THE JACKRABBITS: South Dakota State enters December as one of the top mid-major teams in the nation with an 8-2 record and ranked ninth in the latest College Insider Mid Major poll. The Jackrabbits have earned notable non-conference wins over Nevada, Stephen F. Austin, George Mason, and Montana State. 

Most recently, SDSU earned a 112-47 win over Minnesota Morris in Brookings, S.D. Seven Jackrabbits scored in double figures, while sophomore guard David Wingett led all scorers with 18 points and 10 rebounds off the bench. 

South Dakota State ranks third in the nation in scoring with 91.1 ppg. Noah Freidel scores a team-high 20.3 ppg for the SDSU offense while Douglas Wilson pitches in 14.3 points per contest.

SERIES HISTORY: Idaho is 4-5 overall and 3-1 at home against South Dakota State. The two programs last met in Brookings, where the Jackrabbits earned an 85-57 victory. 

GETTING TO THE LINE 

• Trevante Anderson and Mikey Dixon lead the pack when it comes to scoring from the foul line, as the two rank in the top-5 in free throws made in the conference. Dixon with 35 and Anderson with 34.  

PROTECTING THE PAINT

• Junior big man Philip Pepple Jr. has been a bright spot for the Vandal defense, leading the team with 12 blocked shots - third-best in the Big Sky. 
• The Shoreline, Wash. native had another strong outing in the Vandals' last matchup against Southern Utah, rejecting three shots to boost his average to 1.5 blocks per game. 
• In a matchup earlier in the season against Cal Poly, Pepple Jr. recorded a career-high four blocks.

LEADING THE CHARGE

• Trevante Anderson recorded his sixth double-figure performance on Saturday with 12 points. Anderson leads the team in multiple categories, including points (14.5), rebounds (5.0), and assists (3.5). His scoring total per game has him rated ninth-best in the Big Sky.  
• The Junior guard added his third 20-plus point scoring performance against NDSU, tallying a team-high 21 points. The junior also led the team with nine rebounds and six assists. It was the most rebounds recorded by Anderson in his career and the third time he's recorded six or more assists this year.  
• Anderson opened the season with back-to-back 20+ point outings, scoring 26 against Long Beach State and 22 points in a win over George Fox. 

MONEY MIKE

• Grand Canyon transfer Mikey Dixon has been one of Idaho's most consistent performers on the offensive end, scoring in double figures seven out of eight games this season. 
• Dixon dropped a season-high 27 points on 11-20 shooting in the conference opener versus Southern Utah. 
• The New Castle, Del. native is averaging 14.4 ppg and shooting 46 percent from behind the 3-point line.