MOSCOW, Idaho – The non-conference schedule has officially wrapped up and it's now time for the Idaho men's basketball team to begin its 18-game conference schedule. The Vandals will open Big Sky play with a matchup against defending conference champion Montana State on Thursday, Dec. 29 (6 p.m. PT) before rounding out the week with a New Year's Eve matinee at Montana on Saturday, Dec. 31 (1 p.m. PT). 

How to Follow 
Idaho vs. Montana State // Dec. 29 at 6 p.m. PT // Worthington Arena
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: StatBroadcast 
Listen: The Varsity Network or GoVandals.com/Listen

Idaho vs. Montana // Dec. 31 at 1 p.m. PT // Dahlberg Arena
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: StatBroadcast 
Listen: The Varsity Network or GoVandals.com/Listen

Last Time Out
The Vandals (6-7) closed out non-conference play by winning five of their last seven games and most recently splitting its road trip to Southern California last week. Idaho earned a 76-73 win over CSUN before falling in a tightly contested matchup against Long Beach State, 82-75.

The Silver and Gold battled back from down 20 points against the Beach to pull within one, but a pair of late threes helped LBSU hold on and secure the win. Another solid shooting effort for the Vandals kept them within striking distance, as UI shot 46 percent from the field while Long Beach State went 26-of-54 (48%) from the field, including a season-high 53 percent (10-of-19) from three. 

Four Vandals scored in double figures, including a season-high 18 points on 5-of-12 shooting from three by sophomore Yusef Salih. Backcourt teammate Divant'e Moffitt scored 17 points and dished out eight assists while forward Isaac Jones delivered his fifth double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman Nigel Burris had 13 points and two blocks in the effort.

Scouting the Bobcats
Montana State is 7-6 overall and 4-0 at home this season. The Bobcats won four of their last five non-conference games while most recently falling on the road at Arizona, 85-64. 

As a team, the Bobcats enter Thursday's matchup as one of the top teams in the Big Sky in multiple stat categories, ranking first in opponent field goal percentage (41.8%), rebounding margin (+5.4) and winning percentage (.538). Offensively, the Bobcats rank third in scoring offense (77.7) while having the fourth-best scoring defense at 69.1 points per game. 

Guard RaeQuan Battle and former Big Sky Most Valuable Player Jubrile Belo are the top two scorers for the Bobcats. Battle leads the team and ranks fifth in the conference with an average of 17.2 points per game while Belo is scoring 12.6 per game. Battle not only ranks as one of the top scorers in the Big Sky but he's also rated the sixth most efficient shooter (47.7%).  
  
Series History 
Idaho and Montana State will meet for the 121st time in the two programs' history. The Bobcats lead the all-time series 69-51 and are 8-2 over the last 10 matchups. Last time out, the Vandals fell at Worthington Arena to Montana State, 70-64. 

Scouting the Grizzlies
Montana is 6-6 on the season with a 4-1 home record. The Grizzlies won three out of their last four games to end conference play, while most recently falling on the road to #11 Gonzaga, 85-75. 

Four Griz players average at least 12 points per game - Josh Bannan (15.7), Aanen Moody (14.9), Brandon Whitney (12.8) and Dischon Thomas (12.3). Bannan not only gets it done scoring the basketball, but he also leads Montana in rebounding (8.7) and assists (2.9). His 8.7 boards per game are the third most amongst Big Sky players. Moody, a transfer from Southern Utah is one of the go-to shooters for Montana, as he leads the team with 21 three-point makes at a 38 percent rate. His points per game average is 10th in the Big Sky while he ranks sixth with 2.3 made threes a game. 

As a team, the Grizzlies score 68.4 points per game and allow 68.8 per game - third least in the conference. UM is holding its opponents to a 30.2 percent mark from behind the arc which is tops in the Big Sky. They also rank as the 11th-best free-throw shooting team in the country, making 78.2 percent of their shots from the foul line. 

Series History 
The Vandals own a 111-93 overall record over Montana. Idaho split the series a season ago, as the Vandals earned an 82-76 win at home (2/17). 
 
Vandal Notables

• Junior forward Isaac Jones is the only player in the nation to average at least 18 points per game, 7 rebounds per game and shoot 70 percent from the field. 
• Jones is one of the most efficient scorers in the country, shooting the fifth-best field goal percentage in the nation at 72 percent. He has made 87 of 121 shots and most recently shot 86% (6-7) against Long Beach State. The 6-9 transfer leads the conference in four statistical categories. He ranks first in points per game (18.9), field goal percentage (71.7), total blocks (13) and blocks per game (1.1). 
• The Vandals are making over half of their shots from the field (50.2%), ranking 13th in the nation and best in the Big Sky in field goal percentage. 
• Coming off an eight-assist effort against Long Beach State, Moffitt now leads the Big Sky in total assists (73) and assists per game (5.6). Over the last three games, he has dished out at least six assists in each contest and has posted 6-plus assists in seven outings this season.
• Idaho is shooting the highest 3-point percentage in the Big Sky at 37.5. The Vandals have shot over 47 percent in six contests and recorded 10 or more makes from three in four games. 
• Through 13 games, true freshman Nigel Burris is averaging 10.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and shooting 56 percent (47-of-84) from the field and 51 percent (19-of-37) from three. His 10.2 points per game is the highest scoring average by a Big Sky freshman this season. 
• The Vandals have held four opponents to under 38 percent shooting and below 53 points this season. Idaho's scoring defense is tops in the Big Sky, holding teams to 68.2 ppg. 

Up Next
The Vandals will host its first conference games of the season when Sacramento State (Jan. 5) and Portland State (Jan. 7) come to Moscow.

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