GAME NOTES - IDAHO VS PORTLAND STATE
MOSCOW, Idaho - 31 regular season games. Thousands of combined minutes played. Countless hours spent in the gym and the weight room perfecting the craft, and this is what it's all for. March has long been a month associated with the greatest that college basketball has to offer, and the Idaho Vandals plan to be among the top.
UI, along with the nine other full-time members of the Big Sky Conference, are heading to Boise, Idaho for the annual conference tournament, a dream come true for hoops fans as they can catch a total of eighteen games in five days between the men's and women's teams.
In the second year of the Alex Pribble era, Idaho basketball has achieved success unseen in some time, earning the first first round bye in the tournament since the 2017-18 season, before it was relocated to Boise. That being said, the Vandals are hungry for more, and the first obstacle that stands in their way is the #3 Portland State Vikings.
LAST TIME OUT
Portland State got the sweep over Idaho in two conference matchups, bolstering what would become an undefeated home record with a 75-63 win in the Viking Pavilion in early January. The Vikings then came to the ICCU Arena and relied on their physicality to come away with the 76-69 victory. The Moscow matchup was became the Titus Yearout show late on as the redshirt sophomore received his first major minutes of conference play and led the team with fourteen points.
Portland State ended their three-game regular season slate with a trio of home contests, first trouncing Montana State 69-52 on Thursday. The Vikings then captured one of their biggest wins of the season, defeating conference co-champion Montana in overtime, 79-76. Finally, they captured a close 59-56 win over Sacramento State on senior day.
In their three games of the last five days of the regular season, Idaho narrowly fell to in-state rival Idaho State, 69-65. The Vandals captured a thrilling overtime win over Weber State on senior day in the ICCU Arena on Saturday, coming out on top, 81-79. Finally, Idaho fell to Montana State in the regular season finale, 75-60.
SCOUTING THE VIKINGS
Physicality. That's the name of the game for Portland State. The Vikings put up 108 combined points in the paint in the two regular season games against the Vandals.
Big man Tre-Vaughn Minott was named the Big Sky's Defensive Player of the Year on Friday after averaging 1.8 blocks per game and 7.7 rebounds per game. Terri Miller Jr was named to the all-conference second team, and Qiant Myers and Jaylin Henderson were each named to the honorable mention team, meaning four of five starters for the Vikings were considered to be among the Big Sky's best.
SERIES HISTORY WITH PORTLAND STATE
Idaho and Portland State will be playing their 42nd contest against one another, but the teams will be meeting each other for the first time in Boise.
Since 1966, The Vandals hold a 17-24 record against the Vikings, who have captured the last seven matchups in a row. The last win for Idaho was in 2022, where they took down the green and white 84-79 in Portland.
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.
