ST. GEORGE, Utah – Idaho men's basketball (6-4) stepped up on the defensive end to rally back from down 11 to earn a 63-62 come-from-behind win over Utah Tech (5-4) on Saturday night at Burns Arena.
After trailing by 56-45 with just over 10 minutes to play, Idaho scored 18 of the next 24 points behind an 8 for 9 performance from the foul line and key buckets from
Quinn Denker,
Tyler Linhardt and
Kristian Gonzalez to help earn the Vandals their third straight win and fourth victory in five games.
Terren Frank struggled to get it going offensively but again found a way to play an active role on the defense end, forcing the Trailblazers to take tough shots in the final play to withstand a last-second miracle.
Idaho has now won the opening three games in the month of December for the first time since 2010.
The Silver and Gold had three players file double-digit performances on the night with junior guard
Quinn Denker leading the way with 18 points.
D'Angelo Minnis followed that up with his fifth consecutive double-digit effort, posting 11 points, three assists, and three steals.
Tyler Linhardt came off the bench and added 10 points.
The Vandals delivered a fast start to begin action, taking an 8-3 lead behind threes from
Kyson Rose and Minnis and a layup by Denker. Utah Tech converted on a dunk two plays later before both teams would go on to trade baskets until 11 minutes to play in the first half. The Trailblazers used a 9-2 spurt to build separation before the Vandals answered with a 10-3 run after a flurry of 3-point makes. Rose knocked down the first of four shots from behind the arc while Gonzalez sank two and Linhardt made one of his two threes to put Idaho back on top, 24-22 with seven minutes to play.
Idaho scored 14 more points to carry a 38-35 into the locker room. The Vandals shot 45 percent from the field and recorded seven threes to hold a 3-point lead.
The second half featured the Vandals taking advantage on the offensive glass, efficient free throw shooting and crucial forced turnovers to give Idaho the opportunity to complete the comeback.
Idaho forced 12 Trailblazer turnovers and scored 13 points off Utah Tech's mistakes.
The Vandals will look to improve upon their third consecutive win when they travel to take on Stanford on Sunday, Dec. 17 at 2 p.m.
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