BOISE, Idaho – Jack Payne scored 20 points and pulled down seven rebounds in his return to Boise as the Vandals took down Portland State in the third round of the Big Sky Tournament, 80-70. The win marked Idaho's first win at the event since it moved to Boise in 2019. 

"My house is, what, 10 blocks from here," Payne said postgame. "I love playing in that gym too."

Both teams got out to hot starts, trading threes in the opening five minutes, with Idaho leading 10-6 at the 15:29 media timeout. From that point on, the Vandals continued to fend off the Vikings, mounting as much as a 14 point lead to close the first frame, 34-20. 

Kristian Gonzalez posted 15 first half points, going 3-6 from beyond the arc. The Vandals made five threes in the opening period, marking the 45th straight game with five or more made beyond the arc.  

Idaho continued to drive play out of the locker room, scoring five quick points to open the half and stretching its lead to 19. The Vikings answered with a mini five point run of their own, before both squads began to swap shots. The scoring mellowed out at the midway point in the second, with the Vandals scoring the only points from 14:02 to 10:30, extending their lead to a game high 21 points, a margin Portland State could not come back from. 

Gonzalez finished with 24 points on 7-12 shooting, his fourth 20-point effort of the season. 

"The guys have a deep level of belief, a deep level of confidence in this program and in themselves and in each other," head coach Alex Pribble said. "Playing in the semifinals, in Boise… it's a big step for this program."

Idaho continues their stay in Boise on Tuesday night against the #2 seed Montana Grizzlies. Tip-off is slated for 8:30 p.m. PST, and is available to watch on ESPN2 and ESPN+.