by MOSCOW, Idaho – An explosion of 3’s in the first half led Idaho (4-10, 1-2 BSC) to its first Big Sky win of the year, taking down Eastern Washington (3-11, 1-2 BSC), 74-71, on Thursday night.
THE GAME
Things got out to a slow start for the Vandals. The Eagles got up, 10-4, early, and, after a quick flurry from the Vandals, were able to get back on top at 19-18 with 11:02 to play in the half.
Idaho went off over the next seven minutes. The Vandals would outscore the Eagles 17-0 over the stretch, going 4-of-4 from beyond the arc. More impressive still, four different Vandals made those 3-pointers, while six different Vandals contributed on the scoreboard during the run. Idaho continued to play to close out the half, taking a 43-23 advantage into the locker room.
EWU came out focused in the second half and chipped away at the lead throughout. With the offense struggling to find the same rhythm of the first half, the defense needed to step up. Xavier Smith brought some energy off the bench, picking up a pair of steals and finishing at a game-high plus-11 on the night. He also added four assists to help pick up the offense.
In the end, the Vandals were able to hold on with some clutch free throws, 74-71. Trevon Allen (Umatilla) led the way with 25 points to go along with three rebounds and three assists. Cameron Tyson added 10 points, while Jared Rodriguez had six points and a game-high seven rebounds.
The Vandals shot 52.6 percent (10-of-19) from beyond the arc, including 9-of-12 (75%) in the first half. The Vandals won the rebound battle, 35-29.
