GAME NOTES - IDAHO VS. SACRAMENTO STATE
MOSCOW, Idaho - After a tough outing against Portland State punctuated by a near comeback that fell short, Thursday night was a tough pill to swallow for Idaho Basketball.
But it's on to the next, since teams rarely get much time to digest the midweek games. The rematches continue as Sacramento State is coming to town for the second matchup of the waning season. Currently in tenth place in the Big Sky, the 6-17 Hornets are not to be overlooked, as they bring a physical roster ready to challenge the Vandals.
LAST TIME OUT
In the last game against the Hornets during their first road stretch of the conference season, Idaho collected their first Big Sky victory (80-67) outside the comforts of the ICCU Arena on the backs of 23 points from Jack Payne, 15 from Kristian Gonzalez, 13 from Tyler Linhardt, and Tyler Mrus putting up 11.
Sac State is coming off of three straight road games heading into Saturday, all losses. First, the Hornets did a tour of the Montana schools, falling to the Bobcats 70-58, then were clipped by the Griz, 87-59. Finally, the green and gold traveled just north of Moscow to Cheney, WA, where they battled Eastern Washington in a neck-and-neck shootout, coming up just short, 83-80.
SCOUTING THE HORNETS
While the Hornets are sitting at 6-17, the last thing one should do is overlook them. Arguably best remembered from last year's Big Sky Conference Tournament is their exciting run to the final four, which included victories over the Vandals in the first round and then-#1 EWU, the first such upset by the #10 seed over the #1 seed in conference history.
This year, the biggest weapon for Sac State is Jacob Holt, who is among the Big Sky's top-scorers with 16.6 PPG. A physical post player, Holt collects 6.9 RPG, good for fourth in the conference, and sits at sixth averaging 0.8 blocks per game.
A win for the Vandals on Saturday would give them their first sweep of the season over a conference opponent. Second year head coach Alex Pribble's first career Big Sky sweep came last year in two victories over the Hornets.
SERIES HISTORY VS. SAC STATE
Despite the Hornets getting the best of the Vandals in Boise last season, Idaho has won the last four regular season games dating back to February 2023, and holds a 25-12 lead in the series overall.
The game will be broadcast on ESPN+, and Vandal fans are encouraged to tap in to The Varsity Network and hear the Voice of the Vandals, Dennis Patchin, calling the action.
QUICK LINKS: Watch (ESPN+) // Listen (The Varsity Network)
