MOSCOW, Idaho - In mid-January, Idaho Basketball collected a thrilling home victory over Eastern Washington in front of nearly 2.500 fans who kept the ICCU Arena rocking all night long. It would be ideal if the Vandals could play every game in that environment, but alas, road games exist.
On a cold Saturday in Cheney, WA, Idaho marched into Reese Court to take on EWU for the season's second-half rematch.Â
The Vandals brought the same intensity from January's game into the building, presenting a physical challenge to their hosts while shooting lights out in the first half. 6-9 (66%) from the three-point line as well as an early 7-0 run in the half made for a 41-36 lead in favor of the black and gold at the break.Â
The shooting cooled some in the second half, allowing the Eagles to mount a comeback that occupied most of the second half. A costly Idaho foul with seven seconds remaining in the game gave Andrew Cook an opportunity to shoot two free throws, both of which he converted to give the hosts a two point lead. The Vandals were able to cross the court efficiently, but the game-tying attempt fell short, the final buzzer sounding 75-73 in favor of EWU.
This game marked Idaho's twelfth of the season where at least four Vandals scored in double digits. Isaiah Brickner led the team off the bench with 17 in a phenomenal effort, followed by Jack Payne with 16, and Julius Mims and Kristian Gonzalez with 13 each. Kolton Mitchell provided ample opportunities for his teammates with seven assists before fouling out late in the second half.Â
The Vandals will return to action this week with two of the final three road games of the regular season, traveling to Flagstaff to take on Northern Arizona on Thursday, Feb. 20 and Greeley to match up with Northern Colorado on Saturday, Feb 22.
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