Stockton, Calif – Idaho Men's Basketball (5-8) shot a season-high 58.7 percent from the field and made 15 threes to secure a wire-to-wire victory over Pacific (5-9), 95-72.

The Vandals were led by Kolton Mitchell for the second straight game, as the Coeur d'Alene native scored a career-high 32 points, the first 30 point performance from a Vandal since February 2023. Three more Vandals scored in double-figures as Kristian Gonzalez added 20 points, his sixth double-figure effort of the season, and Julius Mims and Tyler Linhardt put up 14 each. 

Idaho got off to a blazing fast start, going up 8-0 in the first 2:28. The Vandals began to pull away in the opening period, holding as much as a 20 point advantage at the 9:48 mark. The Tigers started to claw back, however, responding with an 18-8 run of their own before the under 4 minute media timeout. This did not stop Idaho as they scored nine unanswered to close out the opening half, heading into the locker room up 16, after shooting 53 percent. 

The second half was more of the same for Idaho, as the Vandals outscored Pacific 48-41 in the final 20 minutes. Mims put together two highlight reel dunks in the final four minutes to put an exclamation mark on a 23 point Idaho win. 

The Vandals shot 58.7 percent from the field, the highest rate for an Idaho team since February 4, 2023. Idaho's 15 made threes are the most for the Vandals against a DI opponent since November 10, 2021.

The Vandals now head back to Moscow to begin Big Sky play in the new year. The Vandals will host reigning tournament champions Montana State on Thursday January 2, 2025 and Montana on Saturday January 4, 2025.