FINAL SCORE
Idaho Vandals - 68
Idaho State Bengals - 76
SEASON RECORDS
Idaho - 10-7, 2-2 Big Sky
Idaho State - 10-8, 3-2 Big Sky
VANDAL LEADERS
PTS - Rasmussen (19)
AST - Mitchell (3)
REB - Rowbury (6)
BLK - Payne (1)
STL - Johnson (2)
NOTABLES
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With a pair of steals in tonight's contest, Biko Johnson has now eclipsed 100 on his career.
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Following tonight's action, the Vandals are 1-1 in the Battle for King Spud.
POCATELLO, Idaho - In the first installment of the annual Battle for King Spud, Idaho Men's Basketball traveled to Pocatello to take on in-state rival Idaho State while the women's team hosted the Bengals in Moscow.
The Vandals game out strong early, putting up as much as a seven point lead in the first half. However, scrappy as ever, the Bengals refused to go away on their home court, getting key buckets to fall and forcing Idaho into tough shot situations. A late run for the hosts ultimately put the game out of reach for the Black and Gold as the final margin was the largest lead by either team, an eight point loss for UI.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Vandal attack found its groove from the get-go, converting three of the team's first four attempts and jumping out to a three-point lead in the process. Each time Idaho began to build some momentum, Idaho State would make plays to get right back in it, as neither team had more than a seven-point advantage throughout the first half, and the Bengals' largest lead in the period was only two.
Isaiah Brickner was a spark for the offense early, establishing himself as a consistent presence at the glass and turning boards into buckets.
Idaho was set to take a two point lead into the break before a scrum for a loose ball resulted in a buzzer beater triple for the hosts that put the Black and Gold in the red at half. The Vandals came out with more of the fire that propelled them to early success, bolstered by freshman
Jackson Rasmussen being one of the best players in the paint in Reed Gym on Thursday night.
UI led by as much as eight in the second half but, as they did in the first, ISU refused to be out of the contest. Both teams found themselves in early foul trouble, which forced a lot of trips to the line in the second frame, but misses from the Vandals and makes from the Bengals slowly evened up the tally, as Idaho finished 20-31 (64.5%) from the charity stripe where their in-state counterparts went 20-25 (80%).
In the final moments of the night, the visitors could not get shots to fall and the hosts were a force at the glass to dictate possessions. A late run by the Bengals led to the Vandals leaving with a 68-76 loss in the first round of the King Spud contest.
UP NEXT
The Vandals will now head to Ogden, Utah to face Weber State on Saturday. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. PT, and will air on ESPN+, the Vandal Radio Network, and the Varsity Network app.
TICKETS
Idaho Athletics announced that all student tickets for football, basketball, volleyball, and soccer home events are free of charge for the 2025-26 academic year. To claim your tickets, visit
govandals.com/tickets
FOLLOW THE VANDALS
To stay up to date with Vandal Hoops, follow the team on Instagram, X, and visit govandals.com
