Idaho (18-14, 9-9) vs. Montana State (18-13, 12-6)
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Idaho Central Arena (5,300) | Boise, Idaho
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7 p.m. PT/8 p.m. MT: Tip-off on ESPN+
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Listen: Vandal Radio Network | The Varsity Network App (Dennis Patchin)
BOISE, Idaho - After picking up a dominant first-round victory in the opening day of Starch Madness, Idaho Men's Basketball returns to action for the second contest in as many days, squaring off for a decisive final round with Montana State after a regular season split.
The Vandals are fresh off a 23-point KO over Sacramento State on Saturday, an effort in which Jackson Rasmussen became the program's all-time leading freshman scorer. The Bobcats, on the other hand, are coming off a first-round bye in the bracket, having secured the #2 seed in the tournament. UI and MSU had a highlight-filled regular season slate. Vandal fans will recall the Brave and Bold marching back from a 21-point deficit in the first half to come out on top in Moscow.
The Bobcats got their get-back in Bozeman, holding on in the final moments of a defensive slugfest to even the season tally at one win apiece. From there, they would go 4-3 in their final regular season contests, with a 15-point win over eventual #1 seed Portland State among the ups and a 15-point loss to Idaho State among the downs.
The game will tip-off at 8:00 PM MT/ 7:00 PM PT in Idaho Central Arena with the winner advancing to the Semifinals to face off with the winner of Eastern Washington and Weber State on Monday.
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 +4.2 in rebounding margin and has won the battle on the glass in 20 of 32 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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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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441: Gem State native Jackson Rasmussen scored 19 points in Idaho's postseason win over Sacramento State, raising his season total to 441 and cementing him as the all-time leader in points scored by a freshman in program history.
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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 29 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
With a win, the Vandals will continue their Starch Madness journey against the second seed Montana State on Sunnday night at Idaho Central Arena. Tip off is set for 7 p.m. PT/8 p.m. MT.
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.
