Idaho (20-14, 9-9) vs. Montana (18-15, 10-8)
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Idaho Central Arena (5,300) | Boise, Idaho
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8:30 p.m. PT/9:30 p.m. MT: Tip-off on ESPN2
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Listen: Vandal Radio Network | The Varsity Network App (Dennis Patchin)
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Live Stats
BOISE, Idaho - It all comes down to one.
March is the month most synonymous with college hoops, notable for bearing the stretch in which teams must play their most complete games of basketball to chase the championship dreams they set in the fall. Since the calendar turned over, Idaho Men's Hoops has done just that, putting together four straight wins, including three in the Big Sky Tournament, to advance to the program's first conference championship berth since 2014.
Only one thing stands between Idaho and Big Sky glory: the Montana Grizzlies.
Competing in its third conference title game in as many years, UM will present as formidable a foe as ever. The Vandals and Griz battled in two tight contests in the regular season, each being decided in the final seconds by two possessions each. Idaho notably came back from 18 down in the first half to take a lead on Montana in Moscow before the Griz recaptured control, and held them to just 19 points in the first half in Missoula.
A win on Wednesday would mark not only the fifth conference title in the history of the program, but the first bid to March Madness since 1990. Head Coach Alex Pribble has led Idaho to its third 20-win season since 1993 and has his Vandals one game away from the first Big Sky crown in nearly four decades.
The championship will be broadcast on ESPN2 for the world to see, with tip set for 9:30 PM MT/ 8:30 PM PT.
IDAHO NOTES
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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.
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Idaho features five players on the roster that hail from the Gem State for the first time since the 1971-72 season.
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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.
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The Vandals have had scoring success from everywhere on the roster. Over half of the box scores this season have featured four or more players in double figures and two games against DI competition have seen six different Vandals with 10 or more points.
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A renewed emphasis on physicality in the paint has paid off for Idaho this year, as the team is +4.0 in rebounding margin and has won the battle on the glass in 21 of 34 games to date. The Vandals finished -1.9 in that margin last season.
NUMBERS TO KNOW
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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.
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3: Three Vandals earned honors from the Big Sky Conference when the regular season came to an end. Jackson Rasmussen earned the league's Freshman of the Year award, Isaiah Brickner was named Top Reserve, and Kolton Mitchell received Honorable Mention All-Big Sky.
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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
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5: Five Idaho natives are on this season's roster, the most since the 1971-72 season
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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.
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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.
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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)
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1000: Senior forward Brody Rowbury eclipsed 1,000 career points with a pair of sunk free throws in the win over Idaho State.
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468: Gem State native Jackson Rasmussen cemented himself as the all-time leader in points scored by a freshman in program history. After his efforts vs. Eastern Washington in the semifinal round of Starch Madness, he sits at 468.
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4: Idaho's preseason ranking in both Big Sky Preseason Polls, its highest since 2017
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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
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14: Head Coach Alex Pribble led Idaho to 14 regular season wins last year, the most since the 2017-18 season.
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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.
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312: The 2025-26 Vandals have relied heavily on play from beyond the arc, setting a new school record for made triples at 312 Saturday against Northern Colorado, breaking the previous record of 308 that was set by the 2024-25 team.
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20: Kolton Mitchell has put up double-figures in 21 of his 31 appearances this season.
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20: Biko Johnson has put up 20 or more points in nine games this season. The Vandals are 7-2 when he crosses that threshold.
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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
A win will secure the program's fifth conference championship since 1990 and will earn the Big Sky's automatic bid to March Madness.
TICKETS
Single session and all-tournament tickets for Starch Madness are on sale now! Secure your tickets to cheer on the Vandals in Boise at starchmadness.com.
FOLLOW THE VANDALS
To stay up to date with Vandal Hoops, follow the team on Instagram (vandalhoops), X (VandalHoops), and by visiting govandals.com.
