MOSCOW, Idaho — Idaho State men's basketball suffered a 69–99 defeat at Idaho on Saturday afternoon, marking the Bengals' ninth straight loss and 11th setback in their last 13 games. The nine-game skid is the second-longest losing streak under head coach Ryan Looney.
Saturday's game also featured a pair of milestones for Idaho State, as Caleb Van De Griend and Landen Birley made their first career Division I starts in Big Sky play.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Idaho jumped out early and set the tone from the opening possession. After beginning the game on a 13-2 run, the Vandals extended their lead to 18–6 by the 14:55 mark of the first half and continued to push the pace throughout the period.
A dominant 31-13 run spanning 8:48 from 12:55 to 4:27 — capped by a Vandal three — ignited a first-half surge that saw Idaho shoot 65.7 percent (23-35) as a team in the period and take a commanding 60–30 lead into halftime. Idaho State struggled to find consistent perimeter offense against the Vandals' defense.
In the second half, Idaho maintained control behind efficient shooting and transition buckets. Idaho State showed moments of life early, as Martin Kheil knocked down consecutive threes at 15:05 and 14:26 to make it 67–38, and a Brewer triple at 7:23 cut the margin to 55–84.
However, the Vandals continued to answer every surge, extending the advantage with strong rebounding and ball movement that led to open looks from deep. Winning by a final score of 69-99, Idaho State's biggest loss to Idaho in 36 years, since the 1989-90 season.
PLAYER STATS
Caleb Van De Griend led Idaho State with 13 points, five rebounds, and two steals in his first Division I start, shooting 5-of-10 from the field and a perfect 3-of-3 at the free-throw line. Connor Hollenbeck finished with nine points, two rebounds, and the Bengals' lone block on the afternoon, while Lachlan Brewer added seven points, three rebounds, and one steal. Jamison Guerra chipped in three points, two steals, and one assist, and Landen Birley logged valuable minutes in his first collegiate start.
Martin Kheil paced Idaho State's reserves with 11 points on 3-7 shooting from beyond the arc, and four rebounds. Gus Etchison added eight points, a team-high four assists, and two rebounds, while Evan Otten finished with six points on 2-4 shooting from the field and 2-2 shooting at the charity stripe. Louis Bond was 4-of-4 from the line for four points to go along with two rebounds, one assist, and one steal, Quin Patterson scored three on 1-2 shooting from three-point range, Cheikh Sow added two points with four rebounds, and two steals, and Blake Daberkow contributed two points and one rebound. Kasen Carpenter would also get in on the action with his first Division I collegiate point, going 1-2 at the free-throw line in addition to his one rebound.
TEAM STATS
Idaho State shot 35.4 percent (23-of-65) from the field, 25.9 percent (7-of-27) from three-point range, and 88.9 percent (16-of-18) from the free-throw line. The Bengals totaled 30 rebounds, eight assists, nine steals, and 10 turnovers.
The Bengals' nine steals was tied for the most in a game this season by ISU.
Idaho shot 59.7 percent (37-62) overall and 48.1 percent (13-of-27) from three, while adding 41 rebounds and 17 assists. The Vandals outscored ISU 42–22 in the paint and maintained a 20+ point advantage throughout the second half.
Idaho's 37 FGM marked the most field-goals allowed by the Bengal defense in a single game this season, and the 41 rebounds for the Vandals was the 2nd most against Idaho State by anyone this season.
BENGAL BITES
• Caleb Van De Griend and Landen Birley made their first career Division I starts.
• This was Idaho State's worst loss to Idaho since a 56–97 defeat in the 1989-90 season.
• This marks the first time the Vandals have won the King Spud rivalry trophy since it was brought back
NEXT UP
Idaho State holds their final home games of the season with a 3-game homestand. First hosting the University of Montana on Thursday, Feb. 19th followed by Montana State on Saturday, feb. 21st. The Bengals game against the Griz is scheduled to tip-off at 7 p.m., while their game against the Bobcats is slated for 4 p.m.
Both games will be aired on ESPN+, or can listen along to the Voice of the Bengals, Scott Gross, on KISU 91.1 FM.
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