FINAL SCORE 
Idaho Vandals - 68
Sacramento State Hornets - 45

SEASON RECORDS
Idaho - 18-14, 9-9 Big Sky
Sacramento State - 10-21, 6-12 Big Sky

VANDAL LEADERS
PTS - Jackson Rasmussen (19)
AST -  Kolton Mitchell (3)
REB - Johnson, Mitchell (8)
BLK - Rasmussen, Joba (2)
STL - Rowbury, Johnson, Brickner (1)

NOTABLES

• Tonight's win moves the Vandals into the second round of Starch Madness for the second straight year, where they will face Montana State.
  • This is the first time since 2015-16 and 2016-17 that Idaho has won a game at the conference tournament in consecutive years.
• With 19 points, Jackson Rasmussen became the all-time leading freshman scorer in school history.
  • Rasmussen has now scored 441 points this season, nine more than Cameron Tyson in 2018-19.
• Idaho held Sacramento State to 13 first half points and 45 total points. 
  • 45 is tied for the lowest scoring total by a team in a Big Sky Tournament game in the last decade.
• In his return, Kolton Mitchell lit up the stat sheet, scoring 17 and securing a career-high eight boards, shooting 6-12 from the field.

BOISE, Idaho - Meridian native Jackson Rasmussen led all scorers with 17 in his return to the Treasure Valley, as Idaho's defense held Sacramento State to just 45 points in a 68-45 rout, punching UI's ticket to the second round of Starch Madness.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Neither team was immediately comfortable inside the confines of Idaho Central Arena, as the scoreboard remained blank during the opening 5:12. A Hornet free throw finally broke the deadlock, before Idaho rolled to a 27-12 run for the remainder of the half. Newly crowned Big Sky Freshman of the Year Jackson Rasmussen took over in the opening period for the Vandals, pouring in four made buckets to score 10 of UI's opening 27 points. 

The Meridian native did more than score the basketball, as he dished a dime to Seth Joba for a wide open triple to break open the floodgates for the Vandals. Joba contributed eight points of his own in the half to help Idaho grow its lead to 14 at the break. 



Rasmussen continued to control the floor in the second, breaking the school freshman scoring record on a free throw less than three minutes into the half. Kolton Mitchell made a necessary second half statement in his first game since February 21, as number 14 scored 14 in the period to help the Black and Gold continue to control the game and build as much as a 27-point advantage. 

Idaho's stifling defense saw out the remainder of the game, only allowing a total of 45 points after giving up just 13 in the opening 20 minutes. The Vandals' first round defensive outing is the best by a UI squad since February 5, 2024, against these same Hornets.

UP NEXT 
Idaho will face off against Montana State on Sunday night in the second round of Starch Madness. Tip in Boise is set for 8 p.m., with the game airing on ESPN+, the Vandal Radio Network, and the Varsity Network app. 

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
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