FINAL SCORE
Idaho Vandals - 84
South Dakota State Jackrabbits - 81 

SEASON RECORDS
Idaho - 6-3
South Dakota State - 5-5

VANDAL LEADERS
PTS - Kolton Mitchell (22)
AST - Jackson Rasmussen (4)
REB - Brody Rowbury (8)
BLK - Seth Joba (1)
STL - Brody Rowbury & Isaiah Brickner (1)

NOTABLES

• Kolton Mitchell scored a season high 22 points, his fifth double-figure game of the year
  • This marks his second time this season shooting 8-of-8 from the foul line
• With 11 made threes, Idaho extended its streak of five or more made threes to 55 straight games
• Today's win marks the 11th home loss suffered by South Dakota State in the last decade
• Idaho had 5 double-figure scorers, the second time this season against a Division I opponent
• The Vandals have now won the rebound battle eight times during the 2025-26 campaign
• With 11 points today, Isaiah Brickner extends his double-digit scoring streak to four games, with five on the season
• Jack Payne's 13 second half points is the most he has scored in a half this season

BROOKINGS, S.D. - On a chilly Midwestern Saturday, Idaho's hot shooting powered them to a 84-81 victory over South Dakota State, as the Vandals shot nearly 50% from the field to claim a critical point-and-a-half for the Big Sky Conference in the 2025 Big Sky-Summit League Challenge. 

HOW IT HAPPENED 
Both sides got off to a slow start, as free throws played a critical role early on, with the game's first five points all being scored from the charity stripe. The Vandal offense started to heat up six minutes in, with Kolton Mitchell and Isaiah Brickner converting back-to-back threes to draw Idaho within one. 

wiiiidddeee open 🫣 pic.twitter.com/T5sU6vH7qR

— Idaho Basketball (@VandalHoops) December 6, 2025

Mitchell and Brickner were the primary drivers of the Vandal attack in the first half, with both scoring in double-figures through the first 20 minutes. South Dakota State's strong opening period, where they shot 50% from the field and outrebounded Idaho by five, gave the Jackrabbits a three point lead at the break. 

The Black and Gold would respond out of the locker room, matching the Jacks stride for stride in the first four minutes of the period. Jack Payne held the hot hand for Idaho in the second, posting 13 points on 5-8 shooting, with his lone triple of the afternoon coming with just over 14 minutes remaining to give the Vandals a two point edge and their first lead since the 5:14 mark in the first. 

Idaho hit a nearly three-and-a-half minute scoring drought in the middle of the period, allowing SDSU to retake the lead with 9:30 to play. The Vandals leaned on free throws throughout the entire second half, going 10-14 from the stripe. 

In the midst of a 14-3 UI run, the Vandals retook the lead with 4:13 to play thanks to a clutch three from Trevon Blassingame. Idaho knocked down 11 triples Saturday, stretching a streak of five or more to 55 games. 

BANG 💥 pic.twitter.com/58OyQM44Fw

— Idaho Basketball (@VandalHoops) December 6, 2025

The Vandals controlled the game from this point, converting key shots down the stretch to charge to a 84-81 victory. 

UP NEXT
Idaho will travel to South Bend, Indiana for a Wednesday night matchup against the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame on December 10th. The game is set to tip off at 4:00 p.m. PT, and will air on ACC Network Extra and the Vandal Radio Network.

TICKETS
Idaho Athletics announced that all student tickets for football, basketball, volleyball, and soccer home events are free of charge. To claim your tickets, visit govandals.com/tickets 

FOLLOW THE VANDALS
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