BOISE, Idaho – The Idaho (1-21) men's basketball team rallied late, but fell, 69-64, to Montana (14-12) in the first round of the Big Sky Tournament. The Vandals drew within three with 31 seconds to play but were unable to complete the upset.  

THE GAME
The 11-seeded Vandals started the game hot, taking an early 11-2 lead. The Griz came back to tie things up, and after a Ja'Vary Christmas layup, Montana scored 10 unanswered to take an 11-point lead of its own. A three-pointer at the halftime buzzer by Chance Garvin made the score 38-30 in favor of the Griz entering the break.
 
Montana slowly pushed their advantage out in the second half, leading by 15, 60-45, with just under eight minutes to play. However, the Vandals would not go away easily. The defense held UM without a field goal in the final eight minutes, while the offense was able to close to within three points, 65-62, when DeAndre Robinson made a driving layup with 31 seconds to play. However, the Griz were able to knock down their foul shots to secure the 69-64 victory and move on in the tournament.
 
THE NOTES
Scott Blakney led the Vandals with 17 points and eight rebounds.
 
Chance Garvin had a season-high 12 points behind a four-for-four three-point shooting night. He also chipped in a team-high three assists as well as pulling down four rebounds.
 
DeAndre Robinson had 10 points and five boards in the game.
 
Ja'Vary Christmas pulled down a career-high seven rebounds. He also chipped in eight points, an assist, and a team-high three assists. He finished the season averaging a team-high 2.6 assists per game.
 
Idaho had 34 points in the paint, while Montana had 18.
 
It was the fifth game for the Vandals this season decided by five points or fewer. They finished 1-4 in those games.
 
The Vandals outrebounded the Griz, 32-30. Blakney, Robinson, and Christmas all pulled down at least five rebounds in the game. It was the fifth game this season that Idaho outrebounded its opponent.
 
Idaho shot 50.0 percent (25-for-50) from the floor, while Montana was 21-for-54 (38.9 percent).
 
The Vandals were 6-for-16 (37.5 percent) from beyond the arc, while the Griz were 7-for-22 (31.8 percent) from three.
 
The Vandals were 8-for-13 (61.5 percent) from the line. The Griz were 20-for-27 (74.1 percent) from the free throw line.  
 
THE NAME
Scott Blakney. The senior led the Vandals in both scoring and rebounding, tallying 17 points and eight rebounds. His rebound total was a season high. He was 7-for-12 from the floor and also added one assist.
 
THE QUOTES – Zac Claus, Scott Blakney, Chance Garvin 


The loss ends the season for the men's program.

Fans can stay up-to-date on all things Idaho men's basketball by following the team on twitter and Instagram, @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.