The Idaho men's basketball team begins a four-game road stretch when they travel to face Portland State on Jan. 24 at 7 p.m.

Fans can watch the matchup live on ESPN+ while also listening over the airwaves with the Voice of the Vandals, Chris King, on the Vandal Radio Network and GoVandals.com/Listen.
 
The Vandals are coming off a two-game homestand against Northern Colorado and Sac State, where Idaho was able to pick up their first win in conference play this season. The Silver and Gold fell to the Bears 87-70 on Thursday before picking up an overtime win over the Hornets, 73-72 on Saturday. 

Idaho put together a well-rounded defensive effort and found success from behind the arc to help earn the victory over Sac State. The Vandals forced 14 turnovers and made 10 shots from three. The Idaho offense also moved the ball at an effective rate to find the open man with 14 assists after having six against Northern Colorado.  

In overtime, a layup from Trevante Anderson and a triple from Rashad Smith proved to be crucial baskets to put Idaho up, 73-69. A three-point play by Sac State's Fowler made it a one-point game. The Vandal defense came up big with three seconds remaining in the period, forcing a jump ball that favored Idaho to ultimately secure the victory, 73-72.

Three Vandals scored in double figures, including a team-high 17 points from Anderson. The 6-1 guard shot 6-of-9 from the field while recording four rebounds and three assists. Mikey Dixon added 14 points and JeMeil King pitched in 10 more off the bench. King also dished out four assists and got it done on the defensive end with three steals.

The frontcourt for Idaho was critical in protecting the rim and pulling down rebounds at a constant rate, as forwards Tanner Christensen and Philip Pepple Jr. combined for seven blocks and 15 rebounds. Christensen had a personal best 12 boards while tying a career-high three blocks. People Jr. rejected four shots to tie a career mark and recorded three rebounds.
 
SCOUTING THE VANDALS: Idaho is 4-14 on the season and 1-7 in conference action. The Vandals will look to pick up their first win of the season on the road as they hold a 0-7 record away from Moscow.  
 
Offensively, Idaho averages 73.9 points per game. They shot 40 percent from behind the arc against Sac State to help boost their percentage to 37.5 which is best in the Big Sky and ranks 34th nationally. The Silver and Gold have made 159 shots from three, ranking second-best amongst conference teams. 
  
It has been an all-around effort on the offensive end for Idaho this season with six Vandals scoring at least six points per game. Dixon leads the charge in terms of offensive output, averaging 17.8 ppg which is the third-best in the conference. Anderson posts 12.2 points per contest and a team-best 3.9 assists. Smith has caught fire of late, especially from the three-point land. The Chandler, Ariz. native is shooting 48 percent from behind the arc in eight conference outings and averaging 11.2 points in his last five games.

SCOUTING THE VIKINGS: Portland State is 4-11 overall and 2-5 in conference play. The Vikings have lost three-straight games and hold a 2-5 home record. Last time out, PSU fell to Montana State on Saturday at home, 73-60. 
  
Portland State is scoring 67.7 ppg and allowing 68.3 ppg - second lowest in the Big Sky. The Vikings have been exceptional at getting second-chance opportunities and turning teams over, ranking first in offensive rebounds per game (12.07) and steals per game with 8.9.

Two Vikings score in double figures on the season, including a team-high 12.8 ppg from James Jean-Marie. Jean-Marie has also been a key cog on the glass, recording 9 rebounds a game with a Big Sky best 3.7 offensive boards. Marlon Ruffin adds 10.4 points per contest while defensive specialist Khalid Thomas pitches in 9.6 ppg. Thomas earns 1.7 steals per game which is the second-best in league play. 

SERIES HISTORY: PSU owns a 17-15 all-time series record over the Vandals with the two programs first meeting in 1965. Idaho will look to snap a three-game losing streak against the Vikings on Monday. The conference foes last met a season ago where PSU earned two wins - one in Portland, 84-64, and one in Moscow, 71-40. 

NEXT UP: The Vandals will travel to the Treasure State to take on Montana and Montana State next week. Idaho will make their first stop in Missoula to face the Grizzlies on Jan. 27 before heading to Bozeman to take on the Bobcats on Jan. 29.

--