Idaho (19-14, 9-9) vs. Eastern Washington (14-18, 11-7)
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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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Tickets
BOISE, Idaho - For the first time since 1994, Idaho men's basketball is set to play in a Big Sky Conference semifinal for the second straight year, this time against Eastern Washington in the Tuesday night late slot at Idaho Central Arena. Unlike most Big Sky games this season, Tuesday's semifinal will not be available on ESPN+, but rather only on ESPN2. Fans must have access to a TV provider to catch the action from home.
UI's Sunday night quarterfinal victory over Montana State marked the first time the Vandals have won two games at a conference tournament since 2014, and Idaho punched its ticket in a different fashion than the first round win against Sacramento State, posting a season-high 54 points in the paint and having its second best night from the floor all year, converting 56.4% of field goal attempts.
The Vandals completed a season sweep of Eastern in the final game of the regular season, beating the Eagles 85-81 in Cheney to snap EWU's eight game winning streak, behind six Black and Gold-clad players in double figures.
The game will tip-off at 9:30 PM MT/ 8:30 PM PT in Idaho Central Arena with the winner advancing to the conference title game on Wednesday night to face off with the winner of Portland State and Montana.
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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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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452: Gem State native Jackson Rasmussen cemented himself as the all-time leader in points scored by a freshman in program history. His efforts vs. Montana State in the second round of Starch Madness, he sits at 452.
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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 20 of his 30 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 either Portland State or Montana on Wednesday night at Idaho Central Arena. Tip off is set for 8:30 p.m. PT/9:30 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.
