FINAL SCORE 
Idaho Vandals - 83
Northern Colorado Bears - 91

SEASON RECORDS
Idaho - 12-9, 4-4 Big Sky
Northern Colorado - 12-10, 2-7 Big Sky

VANDAL LEADERS
PTS - Jackson Rasmussen (29)
AST - Biko Johnson and Kolton Mitchell (3)
REB - Seth Joba (7)
BLK - Jackson Rasmussen and Seth Joba (1)
STL - Kolton Mitchell (1)

NOTABLES

• Jackson Rasmussen had a career night, scoring 29 points on 8-17 shooting and a 11-13 effort from the charity stripe.
• Kolton Mitchell added 19 points, going 5-10 from beyond the arc
  • This game marks a team-leading 15th time he has scored 10 or more
• Brody Rowbury posted his 10th double-figure game of the season with 10 points and three rebounds.
  • With the effort, Rowbury is now 35 points away from hitting the 1,000 mark on his career.
• Tallying eight points tonight, Jack Payne is now just 17 from hitting 500.
• Tonight marks Idaho's 15th game this season with 10 or more made threes
• The Vandals capitalized on trips to the line tonight, making 24 of their 28 free throw attempts
  • This is the sixth game where Idaho has made more than 85% of its shots from the stripe.
• UI turned the ball over just six times, tied for the second lowest this season.

GREELEY, Colo. -  A career-high 29 points from Jackson Rasmussen were not enough, as Idaho fell to Northern Colorado 83-91 on Thursday night in Greeley. 

HOW IT HAPPENED 
Points were at a premium over the opening eight minutes, with the two sides being knotted at 11 each with 12 left on the first half clock. The game remained tight until the Vandals broke off on a 12-2 run to construct a seven-point advantage, their largest of the game. Kolton Mitchell drove the UI attack over the three-minute span, scoring nine and bookending the stretch with a couple of triples to boost his squad.

step back sniper 🎯 pic.twitter.com/QgeudNA152

— Idaho Basketball (@VandalHoops) January 30, 2026

The Bears responded quickly, erasing the seven-point difference in just under two minutes and turning the remainder of the opening period into a dogfight. A pair of Jackson Rasmussen free throws gave Idaho a four-point gap late in the half, before Northern Colorado splashed a triple just before the buzzer, giving Idaho a one-point lead at the break. Rasmussen played a key role in delivering the Vandals an edge at the midway point, scoring 17 of Idaho's 37 points in the period on an efficient 5-9 from the field. 

Fellow Treasure Valley native Jack Payne would get the Vandals off to a hot second half start, scoring six in the first 90 seconds of the period, including a smooth triple off a dime from Biko Johnson to keep the score level. 

jp for THREEEEEEE pic.twitter.com/NiE70DiPt0

— Idaho Basketball (@VandalHoops) January 30, 2026

The sides swapped buckets for the next five minutes before the Bear defense put the clamps on, holding Idaho to 2-10 from the field over eight minutes in the middle of the period, while adding 22 thanks to lights out shooting on the offensive end to build a double-digit lead with just five minutes to play. The Black and Gold would not go quietly, pulling back within six on two occasions during the final minute, but could not get any closer as UNC knocked down its free throws to seal the result. 

UP NEXT
The Vandals will continue their four-game road trip by facing Northern Arizona on Saturday. Tip-off is set for 5 p.m., with the game airing 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
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