Idaho (15-13, 7-8) vs. Northern Arizona (9-17, 5-9)

• ICCU Arena (4,200) | Moscow, Idaho
• 6 p.m. PT: Tip-off on ESPN+
• Listen: Vandal Radio Network | The Varsity Network App (Dennis Patchin)
• Live Stats
• Tickets
• Idaho Game Notes

MOSCOW, Idaho - Alex Pribble's Vandals will look to build on the momentum gained from an 86-80 victory over Sacramento State when they face Northern Arizona on Thursday night at ICCU Arena in Moscow. The matchup with the Lumberjacks, set for 6 p.m. on ESPN+ and the Vandal Radio Network, opens Idaho's final home weekend of the regular season. 

UI defeated NAU 79-62 when the two sides met on the 'Jacks home court at the end of January, never trailing behind a career night from Isaiah Brickner. The San Diego native scored with ease, posting 31 points on 12-16 shooting, while three other Vandals scored in double-figures. The victory extended Idaho's winning streak in Flagstaff to four, and now gives the Vandals a chance to complete their first season sweep of the Lumberjacks since the 2017-18 season.

The 'Jacks enter Thursday's showdown after a difficult one-point defeat to Northern Colorado on Saturday, which pushed their record away from the Copper State in conference play to 1-6, despite a 34-point effort from true freshman guard Chris Komin. The performance marked the Cypress, Calif. native's seventh double-figure game of the season and his second in a row. NAU's reserves have been one of the best groups in the league, averaging 26.5 points a night, a top 70 mark nationally. 

BOISE-BOUND
After Saturday's action, Idaho maintains the seventh spot in the conference standings. A win on Thursday would go a long way towards securing the program's second first-round bye in Starch Madness in as many years. Portland State locked down the top seed in the bracket on Saturday, thanks to a loss from Montana State. 

IDAHO NOTES

• The Vandals' victory over Idaho State in Moscow, a 30-point beatdown, is the largest such margin over the in-state foes since the 1989-90 season.
  • With the win, UI claimed the infamous "King Spud" Trophy for the first time since its reintroduction in 2022 and first overall since 1969.
• Idaho features five players on the roster that hail from the Gem State for the first time since the 1971-72 season
  • Brody Rowbury (Meridian), Jack Payne (Boise), Titus Yearout (Lapwai), Kolton Mitchell (Coeur D'Alene), and Jackson Rasmussen (Meridian)
• Idaho's February 19, 2026 game at Portland State was selected to air on ESPNU as part of the Big Sky's distribution deal with the Worldwide Leader in Sports.
  • This marked the first time the Vandal men have had a regular season game appear on a linear ESPN channel since the 2010-11 season.
• The Vandals have had scoring success from everywhere on the roster. 16 of 28 box scores this season have featured four or more players in double figures.
• A renewed emphasis on physicality in the paint has paid off for Idaho this year, as the team is +3.5 in rebounding margin and has won the battle on the glass in 16 of 28 games to date. The Vandals finished -1.9 in that margin last season.

NUMBERS TO KNOW

• 120: The 2025-26 season marks the 120th year of Idaho men's basketball. In the first 119 seasons, the Vandals won five conference titles, made four NCAA tournament appearances, and had five All-American players.
• 100: All season long, Idaho Basketball is remembering the life and legacy of the legendary Vandal, Don Monson. Monson was a three-time basketball letterman as a student, but his biggest honor was as head basketball coach from 1978 to 1983, where he led the Vandals to a Sweet Sixteen appearance and earned 100 wins over five seasons
• 5: Five Idaho natives are on this season's roster, the most since the 1971-72 season
• 60: Idaho's streak of games with 5+ made threes came to an end vs. Montana, having previously accomplished the feat in 60 straight contests.
• 137: Idaho was 137th in the Dec. 8 NET rankings, the highest mark in program history since the rankings debuted in time for the 2018-19 season.
• 6: Following Jack Payne's outing at Montana State, six Vandals have now crossed the 500-point threshold for their careers (Payne, Kolton Mitchell, Kristian Gonzalez, Brody Rowbury, Biko Johnson, Isaiah Brickner)
• 1000: Senior forward Brody Rowbury eclipsed 1,000 career points with a pair of sunk free throws in the win over Idaho State. 
  • Rowbury is the first to hit that milestone in Black and Gold since Kyson Rose did the same in the 2024-25 season. 
• 4: Idaho's preseason ranking in both Big Sky Preseason Polls, its highest since 2017
• 62.7: The Vandals return the most minutes in the Big Sky, with three out of their five most common starters staying in Moscow for the 2025-26 season
• 14: Head Coach Alex Pribble led Idaho to 14 regular season wins last year, the most since the 2017-18 season.
• 2: Two of Idaho's regular season games are set to take place in Boise this season, the first time the Vandals will play a regular contest in the state capital since the fall of 2018.
• 308: The 2024-25 Vandals relied heavily on play from beyond the arc, setting a new school record for made triples at 308.
• 20: Kolton Mitchell has put up double-figures in 20 of Idaho's 28 games so far.
• 20: Biko Johnson has put up 20 or more points in eight games this season. The Vandals are 7-2 when he crosses that threshold.
• 21: The Vandals earned the program's largest comeback win of the 21st century vs. Montana State in January, trailing by 21 points just before halftime and coming back to win 92-89 at the final buzzer.

UP NEXT
Idaho's final home game of the season is Saturday against Northern Colorado. The senior day matchup is the opener of a men's/women's doubleheader against the Bears at ICCU Arena. Tip is set for 1 p.m., with the game airing on ESPN+, the Vandal Radio Network, and the Varsity Network. 

TICKETS 
Season tickets are on sale now! For more information, call the Vandal ticket office at (208) 885-6466 or visit govandals.com/tickets. 

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